Stargate: A New Universe
by demon unicron
Summary: A Stargate/Andromeda Fusion. Earth has only been using the Stargate for a few months. In a attempt to get allies, the travel to the planet Cimmeria, but that is just the beginning of Earth's future in this universe. On Hiatus for now
1. Chapter 1

**Well I found a Beta Reader. This is the first chapter Beta Read. The second nearly finished, but it most likely won't be up for a week or two. **

**Please Review!**

**I don't own anything related to Andromeda or Stargate. This work is for pure entertainment purposes.**

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**SGC, Conference Room**

In the conference room of the building, Daneil was giving a small lecture to SG-1 and Hammond. "Doctor Jackson, I understand you've come up with some new theory about the Stargate."

"Ah, yes, sir. Okay. Uhh…if you study myths worldwide, it looks as if there were two different kinds of star gods." He gestured to old Viking paintings of devilish creatures that were referred to as _Etins._ "These were commonly described as tyrants who treated their subjects like cattle, demanded absolute obedience, utilized their technology to punish and control."

Carter noted, "As in the Goa'uld." Daniel nodded and switched the slide to a painting of the Norse god Thor doing battle with one of the Etins.

"And then there are the culture bearers who used knowledge and technology to benefit humans."

Hammond looked at the image, then to Daniel. "So you're saying that the Goa'ulds weren't the only aliens to visit Earth in the past. Well, how does that affect us today?" The screen divided in half, the right still containing the painting while the left contained diagrams of the planets explored by the SGC

"We don't think the Goa'uld built the Stargate system. Being parasitic by nature, they just used it to become a dominant race in the galaxy. But some of the goodgods, who liked humans, might have used it too, and they could still be out there."

Hammond pondered this for a moment before asking the million dollar question.

"Any indication of who they are?"

"Yes sir. The Vikings," Daniel explained and brought the painting back to the full screen. "Now in Norse mythology, the gods were powerful warriors. Legend tells us that the god Thor was a friend to humans and protected them from the Etins, beings of great power and knowledge who were enemies of mankind. He used a weapon called Thor's Hammer. Now when Thor hurled the hammer, uh, it supposedly produced thunder and—and lightning. Now that could indicate some sort of, uh, advanced type of energy weapon," Daniel finished while rubbing his back. Everyone just stared at him as they deciphered the meaning.

"Sir," Jack said after a minute. All four looked at him. "Sir, I think what Daniel's trying to say is, if there is another bunch of aliens out there who are hostile to the Goa'uld and have equal or superior firepower, we outta look them up."

Teal'c added,"It may not just be Thor's race we may encounter General Hammond." Everyone turned to him. "I have seen that hammer symbol before. It is the symbol of a world called Cimmeria. All Jaffa are taught the symbols to ensure no Goa'uld goes there. While the exact consequences for the Goa`uld are unknown, Jaffa legend says that it is one of several worlds under the protection of the System's Commonwealth and Asgard."

"Teal`c, you lost us," said O`Neill with confusion. "What you said sounded like an Earth-based name."

"It is what they call themselves, O'Neill. Jaffa legend has them being able to defeat multiple Goa'uld fleets with one or two ships and close allies with the Asgard."

Daniel blinked, catching the mythological importance."Asgard, is that what you said?"

Teal'c nodded which just caused his eyes to widen. Hammond noticed this change. "Dr. Jackson?"

"Sir, Asgard is the country or captain city in Norse Mythology. Given some of the powers described in Norse Mythology of that group of gods…the Asgard would make a very powerful ally."

"Teal'c, what do you know of the 'System's Commonwealth' and why didn't you mention them during your debriefing ? " Hammond asked with a calm but also slightly angry voice.

"I did not want to send your people on a pointless chase, as only the Goa'uld System Lords would know how to directly contact them. I also cannot provide useful information, General Hammond. The Jaffa legends offer little concrete information."

Hammond stared at Teal'c, assisting the truth of his words. Not detecting any intentional deceit, he turned his focus back to the entire group. "All right, you have a go." With that the team left the room to prepare for departure, hoping to gain one or two allies after this day.

**Gate Room**

The 'whooshing' sound of the connecting wormhole echoed through the huge, bare room. Being commanded from the control room, a SGC MALP headed up the ramp while SG-1 stood there waiting for the results. Hammond entered with a box in his right hand. "Colonel, we'd like you to take this along with you. It's a gift."

Jack took it from Hammond, looking down at the object with confusion. The box was dark brown and about 9 i inches in size. Engraved on the background of the lid was the Stargate symbol for Earth. In the foreground, from left to right, was a man, a boy, a girl and a woman.

"Gee, sir, I don't know what to say…"

Hammond just smiled at the Colonel's confusion. "For the alien friendlies, in the event you succeed in your mission and make contact."

Daniel entered at that moment. Spotting the box, he gave a huge smile."Oh, you had it made. It's great." He took it from O'Neill, who just blinked, and started to examine it by flipping it in every direction. "We asked the Sagan Institute to imagine a sort of…greeting from Earth, if they could somehow hypothetically get it to a distant world. Uh, it's all about who we are. It explains various Earth cultures, religions, the histories."

O'Neill just shrugged.

**Cimmeria**

The MALP had shown the planet to be one of those who had the typical primitive settlement. As the Stargate started to dial, the nearby inhabitants looked at it in awe, surprise, and a few with fear. One was afraid enough that he ran away as the unstable vortex burst forth, causing a few to laugh at the retreating man. Two seconds later, SG-1 came rolling out of the wormhole, which the people laughed at. O'Neill grunted as he pushed himself off Daniel and stood up. In confusion, he stared at the laughing people."Well that is different."

Suddenly,chants of 'Thor! Thor! Thor!' came from the group, but there was the occasional 'High Guard! High Guard!' chant that accompanied the shouting. The giant statue, formed like a hammer ten feet from the Stargate started to create a humming noise.

Carter frowned in alarm. "It sounds like it's building up some kind of charge."

Not needing to be told twice, Jack turned to the linguist. "All right Daniel, dial home, we're going back. Now," to which Daniel looked at Jack with confusion."Why?"

"Just do it. That's an order."

Daniel started to move to the DHD when a bright blue beam came from the hammer. Daniel began dialing—the beam seemed to scan him, then moved on to Carter, O'Neill, and finally Teal'c. Reaching the Jaffa, it started to focus on his abdomen. Teal'c put a hand on his stomach in pain.

Jack screamed, "Teal'c! Get outta there!"

Teal'c yelled in pain as the beam increased in intensity. O'Neill ran to push Teal'c out of the beam only for both of them to vanish. The beam shut down and natives ran in fear. Carter moved to where O'Neill and Teal'c had been and looked at the hammer again, both her and Daniel bewildered.

Unknown to the remaining SG-1, the activation of the Stargate and hammer had beennoticed by a star ship in orbit of the planet. The design had the main body in the center, while triangle-shaped 'struts' were protruding on each side. It was a dark red, giving the appearance of a demon from the depths of hell. This ship belonged to one of the few governments that the Goa'uld dreaded facing in battle.

On the bridge were various races gathered, many that were not seen in the Milky Way except for one: made up about thirty percent of the crew, including the Captain. A seasoned soldier, she knew how to get the job done and how to win the loyalty of her crew. She was about 6'0 tall and a slim waist. Her hair was a golden colour which complemented her beutiful face and blue eyes

"The Stargate and hammer have shut down. Starting data retrieval," a lieutenant reported while typing away on the touch-screen. The captain nodded, turning her head back to the diagram of the Stargate and Thor's Hammer.

"I wonder which snake broke the treaty this time," said the vessel's commander as he walked up to her. He looked to be in his thirty's, with black hair and green eyes. His face was well defined and had a good physical build. The only thing that identified him as being different from a human male was the set of three spiked bones coming out four feet from the hands that all Netizacheans had. The Captain shrugged and pondered over the situation.

"God only knows, since Ra's death the whole empire has been in chaos. Have you had time to read the report from High Command on that?"

The Commander nodded, his face settling into a scowl. "Assuming the locals weren't lying; this galaxy's Earth has now entered the galactic stage."

She shook her head as if disappointed,"And has stirred a hornet's nest in the process."

"As a Nietzchean, I admire their desire to shape their own future, however the survival of their people is now at risk."

She gave him a glare, a sign to stop talking. She knew Nietzcheans were about constantly improving and survival, but she found it created a very dark atmosphere on…certain subjects.

"Captain, ship sensors recorded three humans and a Jaffa. Thor's hammer beamed away the Jaffa and one human. One must have been holding on when the beam touched." Reported a egnsin

The crew momentary blinked at the bizarre information.

The Commander stated, "A Jaffa and humans is not typical MO for a Goa'uld ."

A snap from the Captain broke his thought, who was smiling like Christmas had come. "You're right for a Goa'uld, but how did the Abydos locals describe Ra's killers?"

"There's the Jaffa. They serve the Goa'uld with absolute loyalty." The Captain shrugged.

"There are rumors that a few have seen through the Goa'uld propaganda. If I'm wrong then the Jaffa is dead anyway, but High Command has ordered personnel to attempt contact. Red Death, prepare a craft for departure and select the most qualified officers for possible First Contact."

The center screen was filled by the image of a human male, wearing a High Guard uniform. His appearance was of a young man in his late twenties, short light-blond hair, green eyes, and a rounded face. "Acknowledged, craft and crew will be ready to depart in ten minutes. Captain, I must caution against bringing these individuals aboard even if they are from Earth."

The captain looked at the AI with a hard glare while the Commander simply rolled his eyes.

"I know High Guard procedure without a lecture from my ship."

_Red Death _simply nodded and disappeared, attention focused back to the thousands of systems and commands coursing through his circuitry.

"Ensign Gerg, prep a slipfighter for launch to report a possible First Contact to HC." Looking back at the screen, only one though was running through her head: what was the future of the galaxy after today?

**Cimmeria**

Sam and Daniel looked at the hammer,worrying that it would come alive and take them as well. Daniel backed up a few feet, "I think that this is Thor's hammer. I—I…I think they're dead."

Sam shook her head, not willing to accept it so easily."I don't want to hear that. You said Thor liked humans, that he used his weapon to protect them. We go back, we bring another SG team through, and we start a search." Before Daniel could respond, a horse noise caught their attention. They turned to see a woman approaching them, a group of men running behind her. She stopped beside the two. "You're a little short for gods."

Sam and Daniel just blinked as she dismounted. "But you came through the portal unharmed, so you must be from Thrudvang, Thor's home in the stars. Hail and welcome."

It took them a few seconds to recover.

"Actually, we're not uh," Carter put her hand on her chest, finally getting her senses back. "I'm Captain Samantha Carter and this is Daniel Jackson."

The woman gave a small nod at the introductions. "My name is Gairwyn. I'm mistress here, my husband is gone a-Viking."

At Sam's confused expression, Danail explained, "Um, trading, fighting."

Gairwyn shook her head at the statement. "That was in the old days. Nowadays they go to the towns to look for work. It's been a hard season for farmers. Water from the mountains is scarce, but you're welcome at my table."

They were surprised at offer.

"Thank you," Daniel said in a quiet voice.

Gairwyn just smiled, always willing to offer assistance when possible.

Sam added, "Yeah, thanks, but we have a very serious problem. Two of the men who came through the portal with us—they're gone."

Gairwyn frowned at the mention of their two comrades. "Yes. I heard there were two Etins in your company."

Daniel frowned in confusion. "Wait, you think that Teal'c and Jack are Goa'ulds?"

Gairwyn blinked at the question, as though one never asked her of the hammer's judgment. It took a minute before she could respond, but when she did it was a tone of deep confusion. "You tricked them here to be rid of them, yes?"

"No!" Cater exclaimed at the statement. "No, they're friends, and if they're alive we need to find them."

Gairwyn suddenly gasped in amazement, which neither could see reason behind it. "You're humans, like us." So that would explain it. She did call them gods earlier. Until Sam's statement, she must have stilled considered them gods.

Carter quickly jumped at this opportunity."Yes. You and I may even have some of the same ancestors. We came here from a different world. We came from Earth."

"Midgard," Daniel translated which made Gairwyn smile and give them a small bow.

"Then we are your brothers and sisters. Midgard is the ancient home. Thor brought our people here and," she gestured to the Hammer, "made this to keep us safe. Come, let us talk in the village."

Sam was about to retort, but a shake from Daniel's head kept her silent. They should at least follow her lead and not risk losing their only possible help. Silently, the small group made their way to the village, which took about ten minutes. She then led them to a small sized 'house', but didn't show them inside. "You said that the Etins are your friends? How is that possible given their nature?"

"One of them is from a race that serves the Etins," Daniel explained to her. He figured he should tell the truth since the hammer did technically take a symbiote. "He has renounced them though and vowed to bring them down. Our other friend was trying to push him from the beam."

Gairwyn looked at them as she thought over their words."It seems impossible. Thor said the Etins servants are forever loyal. If what you say is true…once Thor has you in his mighty light, it is impossible to escape. Still, Thor is wise and will only kill those who are guilty of the Etins horrors."

Daniel was prepared to suggest that Thor may let the innocent go, but the rebuttal was dropped as gasps of shock and awe echoed through the village. Sam and Daniel looked at each other before the three went in the same direction as the villagers. Arriving at the edge of the village, they saw the natives whispering and pointing to three figures approaching in the distance. The only two details SG-1 could make out were that the figures were human and wearing red/brown colored clothing.

"Is that them? Why would…"

"Why would Thor send them, are we…?"

"I haven't seen them since I was but a child…"

"Those strangers must have offended Thor; one of them was already…"

Sam and Daniel looked at each other with a nod; it seemed whoever these people were, the villagers considered them as important to Thor. The figures were now fifteen feet from the assembled group, and the whispering stopped and the villagers bowed their heads.

The lead figure stepped forward, his hand shaped as if he was grabbing an invisible handle."Greeting people of Cimmeria, may Thor continue to protect your people from the Etins. Thor has sensed the Stargate's activation and the appearance of four individuals. Two have been taken by his mighty hammer, but he has sent us to speak to the two that were not."

Whispers began among the crowd, setting Sam and Daniel on edge. Suddenly the group started to split, right along were the two were standing. They tried to keep with the group, but sets of hands prevented them from slipping away. Gairwyn was looking at them in confusion and…fear, as if previous visits had not been accompanied by good news. The three walked forward, Sam quickly noting that posture and stride were those of a trained fighting group rather than well-dressed primitives. The question was: if they were from an advance society, then how did they avoid the Goa'uld?

Unknown to SG-1, they were also being examined by the leader of the First Contact group and he was not deeply impressed. "_Their__ clothing does not offer them any true protection; still__, __the High Guard uniform is not much better. __Armed with __primitive explosives and projectile weapons, meaning that their planet has entered the industrial age; probably one of the few in this galaxy to have had the fortune to progress that far. If this is how their teams are deployed…only the Goa'uld abysmal Jaffa training is saving them._" Deciding to get on with the assignment, he extended his hand while giving them a smile."Welcome travellers."

Sam and Daniel stared for a moment until Daniel accepted his hand. The whispering increased slightly, but the three newcomers appeared unaffected by it. Instead, the leadersimply turned to Gairwyn. "Do you have an area where we can talk privately?"

"Yes-Of course High Guard, please follow me." She started to walk, the villagers moving out of her way. The 'High Guard' officers followed, while SG-1 hesitated but at the looks from the villagers quickly caught up. It didn't take them long to arrive at the destination. It was a small building, the walls made from logs of wood and mud while the roof was a mixture of dry saw, long grass, and mud. The leader turned to Gairwyn to give a thank-you. She gave a bow and went back to the center of the village. Opening the door, they saw the room had a rectangular table with seven logs around it for sitting. The two groups took seats on each side.

"Now we can introduce ourselves properly. I'm Lieutenant Sauske Orisha, while these two are Petty Officers Grace and Shran." Grace gave a smile and waved, while Shran looked at the ground.

Daneil started to ask about his words to the group. "You said Thor sends his greetings, was-"

"We know of Thor's race; my government is on friendly terms with his species. What I said was to keep up the deity image the people of Cimmeria created around him. I'll lay out the basics: my government is aware of your planets entrance to the galactic community and wishes to establish a dialogue between our people."

Sam and Daniel paused, considering the offer. So far, the SGC had been the side suggesting dialogue and talks, now they were the group receiving the offer.

Finally, Sam said, "Lieutenant, my superiors will at least need the name of your government." Sam was not a trained diplomat by any stretch, but unlike O'Neill knew to keep the conversation civil. She suspected these people came from a advanced world, the small 'stick' on the officers' left thigh appeared to be comprised of well refined metal and electronics at least equal to Earth's.

"Of course, we're from the System's Commonwealth."

Sam and Daniel's eyes widened in shock and disbelief, while Sauske smirked, Grace grinned, and Shran huffed. Daniel recovered first, his voice like a child's who had just found his Christmas present. "System Commonwealth…the System Commonwealth that has defeated two dozen Goa'uld ships with only two, who's power is considered nearly equal to the Asgard?"

Sauske was surprised about his knowledge, his people should still be figuring out the major galactic players. "_He does seem the academic type and they did have a Jaffa with them. There are rumors of Aphopis' First Prime defecting…it could be him_." Before he could answer, Shran laughed with a wide grin. "That's us, kicking snake ass and taking names. Your stunt with Ra made it more chaotic for us, but you couldn't have known."

Sauske gave him a glare that he just shrugged off. Turning back to SG-1, he saw confused looks[,] though Sam's was better hidden."What my comrade meant to say is with Ra gone, the major Goa'uld are battling to take his position."

Daniel looked ready to ask more, but Sam silenced him with a shake of the head. They still had two teammates to rescue from wherever that device had taken them."Thank-you for your offer, but our people need rescuing."

"You can't save the Jaffa," Sauske warned which stopped SG-1 in their tracks. "The only exit has a field that will kill any Goa'uld symbiote passing through it. Unless you have a larva Goa'uld at your base, he will die within a few hours of leaving."

They looked down, knowing the truth of his words. Still, they could not just abandon them until they tried everything. Even if they only got O'Neill back, the guilt of abandoning Teal'c was not something they wanted on their consciousness. Even though many on Earth would consider Teal'c a 'expendable' asset, the bond that the four formed over the past few months gave Teal'c life the same value as that of a native from earth. With a firm voice, Sam said, "We'll find a solution."

Sauske looked at her with an intense stare. "The doorway can't be disabled from the inside and any damage risks making Thor's hammer non-functional. That device is this world's only permanent defence against the Goa'uld."

Sam and Daniel nodded and with that left the house.

Sauske waited a few moments before he turned to Grace and Shran. "They're going to look for the exit. We'll pretend to leave, then double-back to the entrance and keep hidden until necessary."

The two nodded. With that order, all three stood and left the house. As with their arrival, the villagers swarmed around them to hear their words. The only ones that were not there were Sam, Daniel, and Gairwyn standing twenty feet from the group. "People, the visitors do not intent you harm. They merely wish to contact Thor**.**"

Some of the people laughed while others whispered.

"We must now depart; Thor has summoned us to return. Until next time, his protection last forever on you."

**Sam, Daniel, and Gairwyn**

They watched the three leave, staying away from the crowd. Sam and Daniel noticed how the villagers were glancing at them with curiosity and fear. They were doing their best to stay away from them, only Gairwyn was staying with them. Still, they could tell that even she was now a little nervous. Daniel decided to ask a question he had since leaving the hut. "Gairwyn, how long have they been visiting you?"

"Since Thor brought our ancestors from Midgard. They bring us his messages and are allies against the Etins. I'm sorry for my people'sreaction, but often, when Thor summons them, bad news follows. They and Thor have declared that you do not threaten us, thus I will help you find your friends. Come, I know of one person Thor has rescued from the Etins." Without waiting, Gairwyn started walking towards a smaller section of the village. Sam and Daniel were quick to follow not wanting to lose any possible leads.

**Red Death**

Activity on a High Guard ship was typically an organized chaos even at minimum danger. As rumors had started to spread, the command staff had to work even harder to keep any unnecessary information leaking. The Captain mentally cursed the universal humanoid aspect of curiosity and observation skill. "You know, I'm surprised most secrets are not discovered this way

The Commander just grunted. "Well if this is them, the Commonwealth will no longer have to worry about a wild card in operations."

Appearing on the center screen, Red said, "A slipfighter just exited Slipspace and transmitting a recorded message from HQ."

The Captain looked up from an operations report. "Tell the pilot, message received."

The AI flickered for a moment as he transmitted the acknowledgment.

"Play it," and with that command,the right screen showed a Vedran Admiral l in a simple, plain office. "_Well__, __Captain Ramius, __your __report is certain__l__y raising some heads. Assuming this is true, then I should not have to emphasise the importance. Do what you can to gain their trust, but not at cost of the treaty._" Her voice had gone soft and hard at the last line, reminding Ramius the legends of the Vedrans. "_As a final note, intelligence believes some of the System Lords may test our commitment._" With that the message ended, the screen returning to a schematic of the ship.

Ramius sighed at the end portion."Raise conditions to stand-by and alert the First Contact team on the update." She really hoped the Goa'uld would come to their senses, but she was not too concerned about a fight. A _Glorious Heritage_ could comfortably fight four to five Hat'aks before a huge risk of defeat or the ship's destruction. The Commander smirked, clasping his hand together as if he was just given control of the entire High Guard. Ramius narrowed her eyes, "And why are you so jolly?"

"Now maybe the System Commonwealth will remove the parasites. A just fate for a species of such arrogance, would you agree?"

Ramius snorted, she could accuse the Nietzchean's of the same at times. She simply kept silent on the question, letting the commander come to his own conclusion.

"Captain, the team has acknowledged and report heading to the mountain's entrance."

She nodded to the officer's report.

**First Contact team**

Despite their red uniforms, an individual would be pressed to sport their movement towards the mountain. They were not taking the cleared path, but instead natural patches of spaced trees and low underbrush. It would take them a little longer, but avoided them being spotted.

"Do you think they'll damage it?" Grace pondered as she ducked to avoid a tree branch.

Sauske jumped over a fallen log.

"I mean we basically told them the consequences."

"They share a close bond with their are people on the _Red Death _I'd risk anything for," Sauske explained to her while jumping over a puddle. "They may also believe that the Commonwealth or Asgard can provide a ship permanently stationed on the system."

Shran snorted with annoyance at the statement. The Asgard are still rebuilding their civilization and fleet, it'll be a damn while before that is possible."

Sauske sighed, not disagreeing with his point. "Remember, their people are new. If the Jaffa was a defector, then they may simply be operating only with Jaffa legend and tales as a source. In any case, we have our orders."

The rest of the trip was silent with only the occasional footstep of breaking twig being heard-even then not loud enough to be noticed unless you were with them.

After twenty minutes**,**they arrived at the entrance. Shran moved to the other side, providing a clear visual range of both sides. "Now we wait."

**A small living area**

Gairwyn, Carter and Daniel were walking through a very rocky area, at the bottom of a steep slope. They came upon a small cottage and lean-to style shed at the base of a grey cliff. There was a small fire between the cottage and shed. A woman and a blond boy were sitting just outside. The woman pulled out a small round piece of Goa'uld technology that she placed on her hand.

"No!" Daniel yelled, reaching for his sidearm and Carter brought her weapon up. Gairwyn told them to be quit, but the woman looked over to them. Gairwyn simply nodded her head. The woman activated the device over the boy's forehead and brought it down to his right wrist.

"Rune light flow in might and rain, knit the bones and take the pain." She took the strip of cloth wrapped around wrist off. "Now, the next time you want to fight, choose a boy your own size." Not even saying thank you, the boy ran off. Gairwyn, Carter and Daniel walked over to the woman. "Gairwyn, my friend. Hail and welcome."

"It is good to see you, Kendra. This is Carter and Daniel."

"Hail."

"Hi—Hail." Stuttered Carter.

" They came from the portal, from Midgard, the first home. They need your help."

Ca**r**ter was looking at the device Kendra had just used and was very curious. "What did you just do to that boy?"

"He had a broken wrist. I healed it."

Daniel asked, "Then why did he run away?" One could hear a small amount of suspicion in his voice. Kendra and Gairwyn exchanged a look, but only for a second.

"Because of this," Kendra sighed. She turned and showed Carter and Daniel the scar on back of her neck. Carter and Daniel jumped back a step and readied their weapons. She quickly turned to face them again. "It is the mark of what I _used_ to be."

Carter kept her gun raised. "When a Goa'uld takes over a human host, it's permanent."

"Not here," she said and stood up like she was unaware of the danger her life was in. She put the Goa'uld device away. "Thor's Hammer drove it from my body and restored me to my true self."

"By 'it', you mean the parasite that was inside of you?"

"Is gone," she said with huge pride.

Daniel just looked at her as the implications ran through his mind. In the end, all he could whisper was 'my God'.

Carter silently hoped that Daniel was not getting his hopes up. She turned back to Kendra. "Thor's Hammer, is it the stone by the Gate?"

Kendra shook her head. "No, the Hammer is deep underground," she gestured behind them to the cliff, "inside the mountain."

Now, Gairwyn hurried to defend Kendra. "As long as I have known her, Kendra has harmed no one." That seemed to be enough for the moment.

Daniel approached Kendra, a small glimmer of hope in his eyes."My wife, Sha're, is now as you once were. She has been taken by a Goa'uld and—If what you're saying is true-"

"It's true."

"Then help us."

Carter nodded. "Help us to find our friends."

**Mountain entrance**

Boredom was beginning to settle on the group. It was getting to the point that they were wondering if the visitors would even show up. They were just ready to head back when the sound of a high-pitched growl came from the cave. Sauske and Grace blinked in confusion while Shran shook his head. "Was that…"

"Yes, lieutenant."

"But one of them hasn't come since-oh Vedran. How is that bastard still alive?"

Sauske narrowed his eyes at the entrance as gun fire echoed through the wide Hall of Mjolnir. For once, he was glad the hammer didn't remove projectile weaponry."It would appear to be the case. He seems to have put the two travelers on the dinner menu."

Nodding, they slowly moved to the entrance. They entered in standard formation, each providing cover for the other two. The sight that greeted them was nasty: the human was lying on the ground with huge claw gashes across his uniform and his head looked to have a severe cut. He was trying to help the Jaffa, but it was obvious he was battling against a huge amount of pain. The Jaffa and creature were fighting evenly, but it looked that the creature would gain the upper hand soon. Wasting no time, they aimed their force lances and fired dozens of small bullets.

The creature staggered back a few feet, letting go of the Jaffa. All three looked at the arrivals in shock and confusion, the creature also with anger. "High Guard," it growled out venomously. At this the Jaffa stared at them in disbelief and awe, while the human was just confused.

Sauske smirked, his eyes not leaving the creature."So you remember us, which means you should know how this ends." The creature gave a defiant roar before charging at them, claws prepared for vicious swipes. The High Guard officers fired multiple shorts from each of their force lances. The creature continued to charge, even as more and more blood fell to the floor. Just as it was three feet from the High Guard, it collapsed to the ground. It growled a final time, eyes glowing bright amber in anger and defiance before dying.

The human gaped at them.''You're kidding me, we blast that thing for hours and you kill it in three minutes. Teal'c, remind me to take Jaffa legends more serious."

The Jaffa-no, Teal'c, just nodded.

Sauske motioned his men to help the human.

As the two helped him to his feet, he gave Sauske a small grin. "So you're the famous 'High Guard'? Nice uniforms, little bright for a green forest though."

Sauske chuckled at the comment; he could tell this human liked to joke when possible. "I suppose, but we're not trying to hide from the locals. Can you tell me of your condition?"

O'Neill and Teal'c considered the situation. They didn't know of the group's intentions and revealing their physical damage, especially O'Neill's, could weaken their position. Yet, these people claimed to be from the High Guard, which may present closer medical treatment than Earth. Finally, Jack gave in. "A few cracked ribs, deep cuts on my chest, right arm, lower left leg, and it would not surprise me if this headache is the first sign of a concussion. Dried blood and clothes seem to stop any heavier bleeding."

"My symbiote has already started to heal my injuries. It is O'Neill who needs assistance."

Footsteps in the distance alerted them to approaching company. Sauske's group pointed their weapons at entrance, but lowered them upon seeing Sam, Daniel, and Kendra. Sam and Daniel's faces brightened at seeing their comrades, but frowned after noticing Sauske's group. Kendra gave a small bow, bits of local legend and Goa'uld memory racing through her head.

Sam spoke first,"You're alive." It was then that she noticed Jack's state. "Sir, what the hell happened?"

Jack simply indicated the dead creature. Sam looked at it, somewhat repulsed.

Daniel cleared his throat. "Guys, this is Kendra." He gestured to the woman. "She is the one that brought us here. She has firsthand experience; she was a Goa'uld." At the last few words, he had looked directly at Jack.

He knew what Daniel was suggesting, but they needed to get out. "Right, let's go, we have to-"

"I'm afraid we can't allow that."

Jack turned Sauske, whose hand was still on his weapon. "Damage the hammer," he gestured to the hammer-shaped device in the exsit, "and you remove this planets only defence. As obligated by the treaty, we must stop any attempt." That was the one weakness of the hammer: it was desgined to stop any being with a snake from leaving with it alive, however a suddenly blast of energy at the device would overload the circuitry thus making the device useless.

Jack narrowed his eyes not liking what Sauske was implying. "Teal'c doesn't fight for the Goa'uld; I'm not letting him die because he needs a snake to live."

Sauske mentally cursed the Goa'uld, but kept his face neutral. "And part of my duty as a High Guard officer is to protect these people. I understand your case, I really do, but I can't sacrifice a few dozen lives for one."

In the hopes of avoiding a fire fight, Shran suggested, "Wait, what about nanobots?"

Sauske rubbed his chin. "We have some knowledge on Jaffa physiology, and they may be adapted to substitute the symbiote for a short time. I didn't consider that…it may be possible. Grace, contact the ship and inform them of the idea. Shran and I will stay here to prevent any 'accidental' damage to the hammer."

Not wasting a second, Grace was already out and headed down a good distance from the cave.

"_Hopefully this works, otherwise I'm out of choices._"

**Red Death**

"Captain, Grace reports they've found the Jaffa and human…and killed a Unas." Red informed the Captian.

Ramius**'s **eyebrow rose at that statement.

"He's wondering if we could modify a batch of nanobots to cover the function of a Goa'uld symbiote." One could hear the confusion at the end of the statement. It was not surprising considering no real request had been put forth in the past.

"He must be Apophis's defector. Red, do we have enough information on Jaffa biology to pull this off?"

The AI appeared on the left screen, head tilted to the side. "Checking…I believe so**,** captain. Beginning modification…captain, this may only provide a temporary substitute for the symbiote given current information. If so, either they will need to find Goa'uld larva or return to a High Guard facility on a regular basis."

"I'm aware of the uncertainty, but if this works**,** both the Commonwealth's agreement is maintained and goodwill on a potential new ally is gained. If he does need injections for a time, this can work in Argosy's favor." A small beep on the screen singled the completion of the nanobots. "Ensign, take the nanobots down to lieutenant Sauske."

**Hall of Mjolnir**

A silence had descended onto the groups as they waited for the nanobots. The First Contact team no longer had their weapons trained on Teal'c and Jack, but their body language showed them ready to react in a second. Jack's wounds had been wrapped and sprayed with disinfectant from some medical equipment the High Guard officers carried. Sam was standing outside the hammer in wait, while Daniel and Teal'c were sitting beside Jack. Kendra and Gairwyn had returned to the village, stating that with the High Guard and Thor watching over them, that they were no longer needed.

"Lieutenant," Jack shouted to Sauske, "why do you call yourselves 'High Guard'?"

Sauske rubbed his chin, thinking over what to tell them. He decided some _very_ basic information was ok. "It is the name of the military of the System's Commonwealth. The name carried over from the High Guard's original imperial role in the Vedran Empire."

Sam, Daniel, and Jack blinked while Teal'c raised an eyebrow. Before Jack could pry further, the sound of a ship descending from the sky caught everyone's attention.

"Well here comes our solution." With the sound of a small 'thud' and a hatch opening, the ensign appeared. He was carrying a small tub in his right hand. Sauske nodded to the officer and then turned to Teal'c. "Alright, Teal'c, remove the snake and run straight through the hammer. If we inject them here then the field might fry the circuitry."

Nodding, Teal'c removed his vest and unbuttoned his uniform. Rolling up the black undershirt, he reached inside the cut and grabbed the symbiote. A horrible screeching was heard, but Teal'c ignored the noise and pulled out the symbiote. It flailed wildly in his hand, trying to escape the grip and find either a host or the stomach. He threw it onto the ground and it was shot three times by Sauske. Not wasting any time, Teal'c ran through the hammer which remained inactive. SG-1 let out the breath they had been holding in relief. The ensign approached Teal'c and jabbed the tube into his neck. Teal'c hissed from a burning sensation, but after a few seconds could feel the nanobots fulfill the previous functions of the symbiote.

"Teal'c?"

"I am fine, Captain Carter." He gave a small bow to the ensign. "Your people have earned my respect. I hope we meet again in the future."

The ensign looked to Sauske, who just shrugged. With that the rest of them left the cave, the First Contact team dragging the creature's body. Jack looked at them in puzzlement, but decided to let that go for the moment. The creature's body was dragged to the ensgin's ship and set into the very back of the craft. SG-1 looked at the craft, trying to see what technology was used. They only had a few seconds, but it was enough for their recommendation back home.

"The creature's secure, but watch it until you get back."

The ensgin nodded at Sauske and the six others left the craft. The side door closed with a small 'hiss', the side now looking like one solid piece.

With the engines emitting a soft humming noise, the craft slowly rose above the ground like a graceful bird before soaring to the sky like a predator after it's prey. They shielded their faces from a small amount of dust and rocks kicked up, Jack giving a small whistle."Now that's a spacecraft!"

Sauske shook his head at the Colonel with a fond smile. He then nodded towards the path. "Let's get going, otherwise the village may send a party to protect 'Thor's speakers'."

**Stargate**

SG-1, the High Guard officers, Kendra, and Gairwyn were all gathered around the active Stargate.

Kendra gratefully said, "I'm glad you were able to save your friend without damaging the hammer."

Jack just smiled, knowing that it was only the High Guard's presence that allowed that. Instead of voicing that, he simply said, "Well we came to make friends with the guy."

Gairwyn walked up to Teal'c and gave him a traditional Norse symbol for a warrior. "While you served the Etins, you now fight them and were willing to sacrifice yourself to keep Thor's protection on us. You have my thanks and earned my friendship, may Thor protect you[,] Teal'c."

Teal'c gave her a bow in return.

Kendra walked up to Daniel and Carter. "I want to thank you for helping me have the courage to face my greatest fears." She grabbed a small stone from a pouch on her hip. "This is…to remember our world," she explained and gave the stone to Daniel.

Daniel put in in his vest pocket "Thank you."

Teal'c intoned,"We will never forget."

Sam added, "And we'd like to come back."

Just then, Daniel remembered to gift they brought. Rushing to the MALP, he retrieved the metal box and handed it to Kendra. "Here. It's a gift. Actually it's for Thor, or his people in case they ever come back. It's all about our people, who we are, that we would like to be friends."

As if to answer his question, a loud bust of thunder was heard

Kendra smiled at the four. "Thor is pleased."

The four nodded.

"That good," Jack said. "Tell him we'd love to meet him someday. In person."

Sauske walked up to him with his right hand holding a small metal cased device. "Well, this has been an interesting day but hopefully not one repeated soon. Here," and he handed the device to Jack. "Simply put, this is a beacon. Press the center button and it will be picked up by the nearest Commonwealth ship or station. Use it when your government is ready to talk with ours. It will take a few days to reach your location though. Also, return here in two weeks to report Teal'c satues, the nanobots may need multiple treatments"

Jack nodded. "Hopefully, the boys appreciate this back home and maybe get off our ass on wasting money." With that said, Jack turned and started to walk towards the Stargate. The five watched the four go through, the Stargate shutting down immediately after. Gairwyn and Kendra gave a small bow to the High Guard officers and started walking back to the village. They watched them go for a few moments before starting their trek back to their ship.


	2. Chapter 2

Well here's the second chapter, sorry for the long wait. I hope you enjoy it and please reveiw.

Also I want to thank Jolinar Jackson for beta reading.

* * *

**Unknown Area of the Universe**

The space between galaxies was considered by most species in the local cluster to be void of anything, except for the occasional intergalactic ship traveling through. These ships were either a race meeting up with allies and enemies or automated with a task that had been lost to the passage of time. Unknown to all mortal life, this void also held one of the greatest threats to all material existence.

Slowly traveling through the void was a gigantic, monstrous creation made of the combination of 12 hallow planets connected by gigantic metal struts. Each world had a pointed metal tip outward from the colossal structure. In the very center was a sun that gave power to the entire structure, but that itself was created and fuelled by another entity. Deep inside the center one of the hollow planets was a deep cavern with pillars of rock rising out. In the very center pillar was a glowing being, a roughly humanoid shape. Its glow was a dark red, as though fire was constantly consuming the being but unable to harm it. Its eyes glowed with a blood-ruby red and contained a hate unequal to a simple mortal.

Deciding it was time, the thing raised its arm and bellowed a high screech. Not a minute after, the room began to fill with dozens upon dozens of creatures. They had humanoid form, but that was the end of similarities. There entire body was covered in thick, rough fur. The creature's 'hands' and 'feet' possessed long claws to dig deeply into flesh, while the inside of their hands were made of hardened scales. Their faces were demonic: a flat and bat-likenose, pointed ears, slitted pupils that resembled a cat, and finally, pointed and sharp teeth with two sets of huge fangs on each row. The creatures looked at the being with reverence. One of the closest moved forward.

"Is it time?" the creature asked.

The being simply raised an arm upward. "It is time! Prepare the first ones." With those words, the creatures scampered out of the room, screeching with delight. The being folded its hands together almost like it was satisfied. Whatever the reason, one minute after the creatures left, hundreds of ships left the monstrous object. The ships were very simple, a center body for the pilot and three 'legs' for landing. Like a swarm of locusts, they darkened space before entering slipstream.

**SGC, Conference Room**

It had been two weeks since the mission to Cimmeria and little had changed. A secondary objective added to each SG team was to find any information available on the Commonwealth and High Guard. Unfortunately, the people on the planets either had never heard of them or the information was from a local legend. One thing that came to be know for certain: while they were rarely seen, when they did appear, it often meant total loss or severe damage to the Goa'uld fleet engaging them in combat. All this and the mission reports had been sent to the President and high ranking personal that knew of the SGC.

Two positive notes were that the nanobots appeared to still working and the discovery of a repository on P3X-972. While this repository was just a representation of the basic elements, its importance came from the inscription of four separate alien languages throughout the castle. While they were unable to find an exact date, it appeared that the castle was at least two thousand years older than the Goa'uld estimated history. This supported the growing theory that the Goa'uld hadn't built the Stargate network. While the information was not useful to build weapons, something Daniel protested was _not _the sole purpose of Stargate use, it was seen as a gain because of four possible hostiles now known. Currently, SG-1 and Hammond were discussing how to proceed next with the System's Commonwealth.

"SG-1, the Pentagon wishes to develop diplomatic relations with the Commonwealth. They're preparing repesentatives, but I want your thoughts on the worth of this pursuit. The fact is, we don't even know if they have our best interest in mind when they offered the alliance."

Daniel pointed out, "They saved Teal'c when they could have left him to also appear to honor treaties and didn't demanding anything in return after helping Teal'c**.**"

Jakc rolled his eyes. "Daniel, you do remember they were ready to _shoot _us. I think our lives are what we exchanged there."

Daniel gave a small sigh. Personally, he was glad for their arrival as it had prevented having to choose one set of lives over the other. "_And there's still a chance to save Shar're_."

Suppressing that thought for the time being, he looked over to Carter as she stated her thought, "Technologically, they appear to be centuries ahead of Earth, sir. If they wanted to conquer the planet, we wouldn'tbe able to stop them. That they offered the alliance, General, that points to some sort of good will."

Teal'c nodded his head as he recalled Jaffa legends. "No events in Jaffa legends suggests that they act without cause. Your planet is advanced enough to be a possible threat to the Goa'uld, an opportunity the Commonwealth may wish to use."

Jack's eyes darkened a little at the suggestion. "So they use us to fight a war, and then come clean up the mess?" He didn't want the United States or Earth to be used like a puppet, their strings being cut the moment the puppeteer didn't need a show. If Earth was going to fight the Goa'uld, sacrificing lives and spending their resources, then the fruits that came out of it should be theirs. However, at the moment, the Commonwealth held most of the cards, and should such a scenario occur in the near future, there was not a dam thing they could do about it.

Teal'c raised an eyebrow at the Colonel's words. "The Commonwealth and Asgard are believed to oppose the Goa'uld because of such actions, O'Neill." Jack simply leaned back in his chair, hoping that Teal'c was right.

Asgard High Council

In a large but often empty room since the Asgard Council only met here if the matter truly had the potential to affect the specie's future, a hologram of two Vedrans suddenly appeared Like all Vedrans, their upper body was a humanoid while the lower portion seemed horse-like, but one that had the legs only a few feet apart in lengh. Their skin was a bright blue color.

They looked around the room with a posture indicating familiarity, simply waiting for the council members to arrive. They didn't have to wait long before seven bright lights appeared over each chair. They had a humanoid shape, but they were smaller, their skin was grey, and they lacked most of the characteristics of a human.

One of the Vedrans said, "High Council, we thank you for seeing us."

The Asgard in the middle spoke, his voice warm as if greeting an old friend, "Your race has assisted us many times in the past; your voice will always be recognized in these halls."

"Thank you, Thor, I hope we can continue to offer the same."

Before more pleasantries could be exchanged, however, both were cut off by the other Vedran. "Let's get to the matter at hand. Earth's confirmed on the galactic stage and abysmally prepared I should add. Interesting bit, they're apparently looking for an alliance with your race. Whatever legends you left behind apparently made an impact."

There was some muttering from the assembled group.

"Surveillance indicates they're still heavily divided and seem to be using the Stargate in covert operation style."

"The Asgard cannot divert resources beyond a limited degree at this time. Is there technology at an acceptable level?" a member on the far right asked.

The left Vedran shook his head.

"Then they must display further brain development or further technological advancement, otherwise an alliance is counter-productive."

Thor said, "Do not discard them so easily, Odin. It was because of the Vedrans primitive weapons and tactics that we won our war."

A few of the council muttered in agreement. Odon couldn't refute his point, but he considered the Asgards full recovery the top priority. While it meant those in the Milky Way suffered a little longer, they would again be capable of living up to their full potential.

Another council member, sitting towards the center, disagreed, "Odon has a valid concern that can't be ignored. In overextending ourselves, we risk losing what remains of our people and culture."

Thor looked at the two Vedrans; the council would likely base their decision on their answer to his next question. "How is the Commonwealth proceeding?"

"We proposed an alliance but it's up to them."

The council started to talk among themselves, ignoring the two Vedrans who were not bothered by it. After what seemed like ten minutes had passed, they all turned back to the two.

"The council has decided that we will continue to focus on our recovery, but dispatch one ship to track their progress in periodic intervals. We also request the Commonwealth and Asgard exchange data on this matter regularly."

"That will have to be brought before the Triumvirate ."

Thor gave a small nod in acknowledgment. "As soon as the decision is made, we'll contact you; may you stay safe until we meet again." With that, the holographic projections vanished, leaving just the Asgard. Slowly, each Asgard left as well, heading back to either the original transport coordinates or to a new task.

P3X-482

SG-1, Maybourne, and a few officers were waiting for the ship from the Commonwealth to arrive. They had sent the signal out a few days ago from this planet and set up a rotating set of teams to wait for them. They had chosen this planet because the signal would reach the Commonwealth fast from here. Also, they didn't want to expose Earth to their still new friends. Of course they knew that if the Commonwealth really wanted to find the Earth, they had the ability, but there was no need to lead them directly to it.

About the a few hours ago, they had received a transmission that contained a small sentence: we're coming. Maybourne had come through the gate only ten minutes ago in hopes of being here when the ship landed.

Suddenly, the roaring of an engine was heard by all. Looking at the sky, they watched as a dark blue, rectangular ship descended from the clouds. Its length was the equal to three cars and a width of two. As it continued to approach, they noticed various holes in the front and back of the hull, yet the top had no visual weaponry. Jack turned to Maybourne with a smile. "Nice ship."

Maybourne ignored him as he continued to watch the ship descend. He agreed that it looked advanced, but he was more interested in their weapons. What good was a ship if it was destroyed in the first engagement? Slowing and hovering twenty feet away from the group, a small light shot out of the craft over each of them. Maybourne and his two soldiers raised their weapons on instinct, but a 'don't shoot' from Daniel stopped them from firing. The beam disappeared and the craft landed. It hissed as the side door opened.

Four individuals stepped out. One was blue-skinned, one was pale-skinned and had three lines on each check, and the other two were humans wearing High Guard uniforms. The blue-skinned figure, upon spotting the group, walked over with a huge smile. "So you are the Earth humans? I've been eager to meet you; negotiationing with a society of your level is always-"

"Ramus, that's enough."

The being now identified as Ramus turned to the officer who was giving him a stern look. His face became neutral, any emotion hidden behind the mask all diplomats developed. The officer, a woman in her late twenties, walked up to the group. "Sorry about that, his species is too excited on new discoveries at times. Commander Beka Valentine, I'll be the High Guard observer during talks."

SG-1 blinked at those words, while Maybourne's face hardened in anger at the perceived implications. When he spoke, his voice was rough and very accusing, "With respect, Commander, I can assure you that your diplomats will be safe on our base for two days. Your presence may…be taken as a sign of mistrust of my government."

Beka gave a small shrug, caring little for his words. "It's standard Commonwealth procedure with pre-space capable planets."

There was a tense silence as Maybourne pondered over his choice. After what seemed like eternity, he gave a nod and ordered one of the soldiers to dial the gate. Beka walked back into the ship and into the cockpit.

Daniel walked up to the two diplomats with a small grin. "Hello, I'm Doctor Daniel Jackson. I was wondering if you would be willing to discuss some of your history and culture. I've been pouring over various texts, but I didn't come across ant reference to your government."

Ramus nodded eagerly, while the other diplomat gave a small bow. "Of course, Dr. Jackson, the exchange of culture and history is welcomed and encouraged in the Commonwealth," the other diplomat informed him. The 'whooshing' sound of the wormhole signaled time for their departure. Beka came out of the ship and spoke to the other officer, who nodded and entered the ship. The engines came to life and it blasted back into the sky. Maybourne gestured to the diplomats and then to the gate. He entered first, followed by the soldiers and SG-1.

The Commonwealth representatives moved to the gate, but Beka shook her head. "Let me go first, if there's a trap then I'll have a chance."

They nodded and she walked up to the Stargate. Extending her force lance, she entered the gate. The familiar sensation of molecular dissembling and being sent over thousands of light years was brief, and four seconds later, she found herself in the SGC. The gunners raised their weapons, but Beka ignored them as she did a quick scan of the area. Seeing no sign, she pressed the chip in her neck. "All clear," with that the two diplomats came through and Beka retracted her force lance. They walked down to Hammond, SG-1, and Mabourne .

The Setherdorn System

A system just outside the Goa'uld Empire control, it was a popular transit point for Commonwealth ships heading to or returning from various assignments in the Milky Way galaxy. At the moment, at least four ships werein the system, including the _Andromeda_ _Ascendant_ captained by one Dylan Hunt.

"Andromeda, what**'s** the strength of Commander Valentine's single?" Dylan asked the AI.

Her image appeared on the middle screen, while a virtual display of Earth's system was on the right."It remains strong**, **Captain**, **despite natural interference."

Dylan nodded, giving a silent thank-you for the historical close relation between the Vedrans and Asgard. While their sensors were not as powerful as the Asgard's, they were able to detect events in up to three systems in real time. Combined research of the Asgard and Commonwealth also could receive, send, and pick up FTL communication and signals up to half-way across the galaxy. The _Andromeda _was assigned to monitor the commander's single and jump into the system if it looked like there was huge danger. Needless to say, this could turn into a very boring assignment.

"Good, transmit statutes to the nearest High Guard listening post." _Andromeda _nodded, disappearing from the screen.

"Do you think she'll be OK?" Andromeda's temporary commander asked from his station.

Dylan didn't look at the figure, just nodded his head as he thought back to his first meeting with Beka Valentine.

_Flashback_

"_Captain Hunt, Lieutenant-Commander Valentine has boarded__**,**__" Andromeda__**'s **__hologram informed Hunt in his office. Hunt looked up from the flexi he was reading, "She's heading his way."_

"_Thank you__**, **__Andromeda."_

_She nodded slightly and vanished, leaving Dylan to think over his new Commander. Her file had been…interesting. She was a competent officer, but was known to verbally chew out those below and even above her rank at times. In some ways__,__ she was lucky not to be dishonorably discharged. He was brought out of his thoughts by a 'bang' from the door. "Come." The door __slid __open and Beka entered. They gave each other a salute and Dylan motioned for her to sit. Sitting in the chair, she waited for Dylan to start._

"_Lieutenant Valentine, I understand you requested this ship specifically?_

_Beka nodded slightly though her face remained neutral._

_"I'm curious as to why? A Glorious Heritage class is a ship of the line; the Commander should have decent commanding experience. Records show you lack this, so why take the sudden leap?"_

"_Permission to speak freely, sir…I don't want to be waiting for the enemy to __be __coming to me. Stop it before it can become a threat, which is what ships like this do. __At the e__dge of the safe zone and beyond, to protect our people before they need it."_

_Dylan gazed at her for two minutes before moving to the next issue. "Your records indicate during the talks with Yu, Ra, Ba'll, and Cronus__, __you disobeyed your Captain and sent down three squanders of Lancers to surround the site."_

"_The__y'__re Goa'uld System Lords, gaining a__n __advantage over their opponent will always come first." She looked to the left, lost in thoughts on th__at__ day. "Ra and Yu may keep a deal out of some sense of 'honor', but Ba'll and Cronus __are purely pragmatic. We gave them an opportunity they __couldn't __ resist."_

"_Still, it was not your call to make."_

_Beka spun her head around so fast that it seemed her neck might snap and looked directly at Dylan._"_Captain, I will obey any reasonable order you give me. I will not risk the lives of my crew unless it can dam__n__ well __be __justified. I will not simply take 'its need to know' for every justification."_

"_What you said just now could risk your career. You could be demoted, dishonorably discharged. I'm your superior officer; you are to trust my judgment and are not privy to information above your rank unless told otherwise."_

"_I understand, but my crew are my family and Val__e__ntines protect their family."_

_Satisfied with her words, he stood up and held out his hand._

"_Then welcome on-board, _**Commander**_ Valentine."_

_End of Flashback_

"Captain, Captain Hunt?" a voice said which brought him back to the present. He looked to see it was _Andromeda_, her face showing concern.

Dylan blinked, he didn't realize that he had spaced out so quickly which itself was defiantly not conductive of a High Guard officer. "Sorry, Andromeda. Is there anything to report?"

"High Guard station 4534 confirms receiving the update, assuming all goes well, Tarn-Vedra should receive it within a few days. Unfortunately, we may be soon having unwanted company. Sensors have detected three ships moving through hyperspace, having just entered detectible range." As she finished, three dots traveling through a tunnel appeared, representing the incoming vessels and hyperspace respectively.

"Raise the ship stand-bye; alert the _Shinning Justice_, _Ascent into Heaven, _and _Thousand Debates_ for unknown travelers. Andromeda, can you identify them?"

"Their direction of origin and speed matches the most recent Goa'uld Hat'ak, but the Tollan's have been attempting to increase their speed."

Dylan would like it to be the Tollan's, but their current negotiations with the System Commonwealth on membership and worry about provoking the Goa'uld severely reduced the possibility. "The Tollan's wouldn't travel this far just to test speed. Andromeda, prepare missile tubes 1-5 and three Centaur Tactical Fighters for launch. Tell the others to hold off, we don't need an unnecessary battle." If it did come to a fight, then the High Guard would give the first punch.

His Liutenant-Commander looked at him with a 'what the hell is your plan look' but did his duty. They continued to watch the dots travel for a few more second.

"Ships existing hyperspace, third planet out…three Goa'uld Hat'aks. They're hailing, claiming to represent Heru'ur."

Liutenant Ryan asked, "Heru'ur , why would he be contacting us?"

Dylan just shrugged. He motioned for _Andromeda _to open a channel. The middle screen showed the inside of the Hat'ak, the bridge design the same as other Hat'ak. What marked this as one of Heru'ur ships was the symbol of Ra on the back wall of the bridge and two carvings of Egyptian Pharaohs on their thrones. The Jaffa most visible had the mark of Here'ur in gold on his forehead.

He spoke, "Commonwealth vessel, I am First Prime Helanc of Heru'ur. My master wishes to discuss a temporary alliance."

All were momentary surprised at this, though the older officers didn't show it.

"I'm sorry, but I could swear I heard a Goa'uld-Commonwealth alliance offer. The transmition must have an error somewhere."

Helanc gave a small growl at Dylan's words his eyes narrowing like a cat's would when cornered. "You show such insolence…what I said is true**, **High Guard."

Before Dylan could respond, _Andromeda _appeared to his right and inclined her head to the right screen. It had scrolling Goa'uld text which was being translated to the left. Forcing his eyes back to Helanc, he gave the First Prime a grin. "Well Helanc, I'll bring it to my government's attention. Now if-"

"I demand an answer now , human!"

Dylan scowled and glared at the Jaffa. "If Heru'ur is so desperate for help then he can wait a few days. If not, then our default answer is no." Dylan wondered what Helanc would do. On one hand, Helanc talked like one of those Jaffa that truly believed the Goa'uld propaganda, while on the other hand, the fact Heru'ur was asking this of the Commonwealth rather than another Goa'uld spoke of desperation. If he returned with a rejection because of impacinace then Dylan didn't want to think of the punishment.

He nodded. "Very well…I will return in one day for your answer."

The communication ended, sensors showed the vessels turning around and entering hyperspace. Letting out a small breath, he deactivated Stand-By alert and looked back to _Andromeda_. "So, what did you recover?"

"At least twenty percent of their database…at least this time, it required a little fight." Her finishing tone was mockery as most High Guard AI's found the Goa'uld 'encryptions' to be abysmal. "I've begun scanning through it, but it will take time. Two of the most recent entries are of two battle references; neither seems to have ended in his favor. Seems his goal to take Ra's position is backfiring," she finished with a small grin.

"It would fit with intelligence and explain why he wants an alliance. Andromeda, copy any significant information for a package to Tran-Vedra."

Andromeda nodded and disappeared. Dylan wondered, with the negotiations going on between Tollan, Earth, and other systems, how the Commonwealth would respond.

Chulack

Sitting on his throne was the Goa'uld System Lord Apophis. Wearing his golden armour, he was listening as a Jaffa reported on the state of the northern part of his territory. He was about to dismiss the Jaffa when his First Prime entered the room. He walked up to the throne and gave a bow. "My lord, our forces have defeated Heru'ur and Cronus in battle. The Hedian, Comuite, and Hypatic systems are now part of your dominion."

Apophis was pleased at the news, each system contained a number of planets that would provide abundant material for ship and armor construction. They also provided a good staging area to go further into Ra's former territory and conquer Heru're and Cronus once and for all. "What of the weapons and shields?"

"They fell swiftly before them, my Lord. Your knowledge has again proven greater than your rivals'."

"Very well, Brat'ac. You will be rewarded for this victory, now dispatch fleets to reinforce my claim."

Bra'tack simply stood up and left the room. Apophis pondered over this news. While the new Hat'ak cannons were not a huge advancement, the doubling rate of fire and triple strength would theoratically give him a 1v2 to 1v3 advantage in engagements. If he equipped enough of his forces before the rest of the System Lords adapted, then he could possibly claim and crush some of the weaker ones. If that came to pass, then he would worry about Yu and the older ones. He was brought out of his thoughts as another being entered the room. "Shu, why are you here?"

Shu gave a bow in respect. His clothing was styled in Ancient Egyptian, colored a dark brown. There were various symbols for Sky and Earth scattered along his arms and legs. His host looked to be in his late 40's, brown-skinned with a decent build. "I am sorry, master, but this was too valuable to risk enemy capture. The prototype is complete and already, test flights are being planned. Unfortunately, master,I could not acquire information from the High Guard prisoners. Neither a symbiote or sarcophaguses could repair the damage." Apophis gave a low growl; their capture had cost a lot of Jaffa. "It does not matter, once I conquer the rest of the System Lords, their galaxies will follow."

Shu bowed and left the room, leaving Apophis to plan his next actions.

SGC

The 'briefing' room had not been changed much; the only real difference was that the SGC and United States flag were clearly visible along either end of the wall overlooking the Stargate. The Commonwealth didn't mind, and had to hold in their amusement as they saw a hastily assembled 'flag' of the traditional Commonwealth insignia towards the end closest to the doors.

Hammond gestured to the seats. "If you wil, Representatives."

The two ambassadors sat on the left, Beka sat in the seat at the very end, Hammond and Maybourne at the very top, and the two Earth ambassadors on the right side, while SG-1 was on the left. Since they were the only group to interact with them, Hammond believed they could help keep the talks decent. "Now let's begin."

Beka spoke up, "Before we discuss anything, Hammond, I want your people to read this over." She reached into her uniform pocket and pulled out a flexi. She was aware of the natural curiosity as she handed it to the closest Earth individual, but became very wary of Maybourne's look. "This contains a list of the items our government will not hand over or discuss."

O'Neill glanced at it. "Weapon systems, FTL travel method, military size and abilities…some secrets you have here." He handed it to Carter.

One of Earth's ambassadors gave Jack small glare because of a feared insult, but Sakura simply nodded. "Yes, we do, but of if your people were captured or taken over by a Goa'uld then they would gain that knowledge. We've spent thousands of years keeping it from them-"

Beka interrupted her, "-And telling you would needlessly put more lives at risk."

Wanting to get things going, one of the Earth ambassadors spoke, "You said 'thousands of years', have you been exploring space that long?" His voice was light, very academic with a southern accent.

Sakura looked to Beka, who singled the ok.

"While each species entered the galactic communities at different times, the Commonwealth and its predecessor have for nine millenniums. For example, my species only gain space capabilities three centuries ago while a species called the Kalderans have been members for a few thousand years." She didn't mention that at least ¼ of Commonwealth members were Vedran conquest, but felt that would just make them more distrustful.

Maybourne asked, "If that is the case, then why have you not eliminated the Goa'uld? It seems unwise to allow such a hostile power existing next door." His voice was laced with suspicion and distrust.

Beka narrowed her eyes, but Sakura jumped in before a verbal fight could start. "Your words are true, but my government feels to comment the necessary forces would risk prior obligations." She left it there as any father would involve security risk. Deciding to move back to more relevant matters, she put forward the Commonwealth's offer. "We are willing to teach your people basic principles and theories behind what forms out basic technology and some of the Goa'ulds'. We are also willing to provide military assistance in case of Goa'uld invasion."

"That's a kind offer," started Maybourne, "but my government was hoping for some weapons, tangent benefits to operating-"

He was interrupted by one of Earth's ambassadors, "What Maybourne means is that your offer is generous," he gave a small glare at Maybourne at this, "it is just we need something to use while developing these technologies."

In an almost pitying tone, Ramus said, "Yes, primitive societies have that problem." He suddenly grinned and clasped his hands together. "With our collaboration, though, I assure you that your planet can advance in decades what would take centuries. My species themselves always enjoyed advancing science, even primitive planets, no offence intended."

Hammond asked,"What would we be required to give up for this agreement?" It sounded very generous, especially given Earth's lack of space craft. Yet the Commonwealth didn't strike him as without requiring some sacrifice.

Ramus and Sakura nodded to Beka. She grabbed a small disk from her uniform and set it on the table. Pressing one of the side buttons, a holographic projection of the system shimmered into existence. Maybourne narrowed his eyes at this, but was unnoticed by all.

"The Commonwealth would need to build four sensor stations to cover the system." Four red dots appeared, one in each 'direction' of the solar system within the orbital path of Pluto. "Once a Goa'uld ship entered the system, a transmission would be sent to all nearby ships. Command would fall to the highest ranking High Guard officer present, but Earth orbit and planet matters would remain under your control."

Silence descended as the ambassadors and military personal contemplated the offer. The ambassadors believed it was agreeable; they had no experience in actual space combat anyway. Hammond and SG-1 were nervous about the stations as they suspected it could potentially allow intelligence and spying without knowledge. That they already had a hologram of the system indicated some intelligence gathering. The voice that finally broke the silence was Maybourne's. "So you're asking us to sit by as our planet is attacked, with no say in defence until they're already parked in orbit? I'm sorry but that is a position that the United States finds unacceptable, I must request-"

"Tell me _Colonel_, how would engage six Goa'uld Hat'ak with two High Guard cruisers in the 3D fighting space while keeping track of both groups' multiple light craft and fighters and preventing them from getting three-thousands kilometres from obit?"

Maybourne tried to answer, but could'nt think of how.

Beka gave a small sigh. "You and many others are fine commanders _on this planet,_ but space is very different. Until your people gain the experience, your planet would be more vulnerable during the attack."

One of Earth's ambassadors asked, "What about an officer exchange? You are correct, this planet has no space combat experience, but your people are unfamiliar with this country's abilities. In exchanging some soldiers for a period, we each gain something of value."

Silence settled in the room as each group thought about the proposal.

Sakura thought it over, "_Sounds reasonable, yet why does a sense of worry come when look at Maybourne_?"

Ramus was just excited because of the educational opportunities it would offer both the Commonwealth and Earth. Beka was looking at it from at least three different angles. "_It would give us some intelligence gathering opportunities, but __they could do the same__. The experience would benefit them the greatest but dam__n __well can't be helped._" She turned to the ambassadors. "If the ambassadors agree, I find it acceptable."

They all nodded, meaning that the first steps towards an alliance had been taken. Looking at the clock, Hammond called for a small break.

Daneil then asked Hammond he wanted to since the start. "General, would Sakura be able to look at the photographs from P3X-972?"

Hammond thought it over for a moment before nodding.

Daniel walked up to Sakura, who was talking to Beka. "Sakura, would you come to my office?"

"That would be acceptable; I have an interest in this galaxies ancient history." With that[,] the two left the room, heading for Daniel's office.

Maybourne watched them go, turning to Hammond after they'd left and speaking in a low voice. "Hammond, showing them anything carries a potential risk to this planet and spread of valuable intelligence."

Hammond looked at him, as if saying _and what are they to us at the moment? _He replied in an equally low voice_, _ "I'm aware of that, Colonel, but they may recognize one of the languages and save us months of searching. Also, we're negoating an alliance so showing them some trust will help."

Maybourne didn't say anything but just nodded and left the room. Hammond looked back up to overlook the room. Jack, Teal'c, and Beka were talking; Sam and Ramus seemed to be excited over their subject, while Earth's ambassadors were talking to themselves.

Daniel and Sakura

"Here we are, sorry about the mess**,**" Daniel said as they entered.

Sakura looked around the room, various books were scattered around the place, photographs or outlines of what she assumed were various object taken from planets were pinned to the walls,the lights were low. Still, she felt it fit him very well, especially in the military atmosphere. She smiled. "You should see my office. Sometimes it looks like a huge wind was having a personal party."

Daniel froze for a moment, not having expected such an _uncensored _comment.

"So, what is it you want me to see?"

"Yeah, right-" He walked over to his desk. He dug through a pile of books, letting out a small cry of 'ah' at finding it. Sliding it out, he handed it to her. "I've identified one of the symbols of a Norse symbol, so…" He trailed off as a looked of shock and confusion settled on her face. "What is it?"

"Two if these texts…they're ancient Asgardian and Vedran…"

"Vedran…Sakura, who are they?"

She mentally kicked herself for saying that name as the Commonwealth was hoping to keep the more brutal portion of its history secret until a firm understanding had been established. Looking at Daniel, she saw the inquisitive look that would not be satisfied until a good answer was given. She also knew that he would report this to the base commander, even if it was only one sentence. "The Vedran are the race that came to tame and dominate the Commonwealth galaxies. They created the …Vedran Empire. The empire lasted for thousands of years until multiple factors transformed into the System's Commonwealth. Even today many of our advances come from them and are considered second technologically only to the Asgard. How old are these inscriptions?"

"I believe the building was built over ten millennia ago, but was long abandoned when we dialed the address."

She traced some of the symbols in the upper-left text. "Simply amazing, to see evidence they were in contact with other races even before the empire."

Daniel looked at her, confused by the statement. "You didn't know?"

"All records date the Vedrans only achieved FTL nine millenniums ago. If there any records of a sooner date, then it was never made public." To herself, she thought, "_Bu__t__ why would they keep it a secret…what damage could this knowledge have done?_" Noting this for personal inquiry later, she handed the photograph back to Daniel. "It seems your planet has given the Commonwealth an unknown past." Suddenly, they noticed a group of personnel running down the halls, excitemed about something. They both went to the door just as another group ran past.

"What's the emergency?" Daniel yelled at the passing group.

One soldier stopped, turning to face the two. "No emergency. Teal'c is fighting that High Guard person, seeing who's better," he informed them before running after his colleagues. The two looked at each other before running to follow the group.

They were led to the rec room, where a small crowd had gathered to watch. Pushing their way to the front, they saw the two circling each other. Beka suddenly launched forward with an upper cut, the speed forcing Teal'c to back away. She then swung her legs at Teal'c, who quickly reached down and grabbed the leg. He quickly spun it around, forcing Beka to the ground but not before she delivered a mean kick to his chest, forcing him to let go and stand back. She quickly stood up and went at him with a flurry of punches from almost every direction. Thanks to his Jaffa reflexes, he was able to block most of them and even return a few to Beka's side. Despite the situation, Beka smiled at the Jaffa. "Impressive, most Jaffa fall in the first few seconds."

Teal'c blocked an upper-cut and returned with a jab to her side. "You are very skilled, Commander Valentine."

Before they could continue, a yell broke through the crowd. "What's the hell going on?"

Most turned to the hall to see Hammond standing there.

"I ask again, why are you all here?"

Beka and Teal'c pushed through the crowd towards the General and O'Neill, Daniel and Sakura following. Beka gave a small wince at Hammonds face. "It was my suggestion General," she said, her tone formal and neutral. Hammond turned to her with a 'explain' look. "I asked Teal`c if he would have a sparring match. I didn't expect a crowd to follow. I fully apologise for any disruption this has caused."

Hammond stared at Beka for a moment, and then let out a small sigh. "Apology accepted, Commander. I would prefer if any sparing came after negotiations are finished."

Hammond turned to leave, but stopped when Daniel called his name. "General, can you recall everyone to the briefing room?"

Hammond nodded, though his face showed he wanted the reason.

"Sakura identified two of the languages, with one from the founding race of their government."

Hammond turned to Sakura, who confirmed the silent question with a nod.

After what seemed like hours, Hammond broke the silence. "I'll grab Maybourne and the ambassadors. Meet us there in five minutes." With that said, he turned and walked down the hall. The five looked at each other a moment before heading to the briefing room.


	3. Chapter 3

Well here's the third chapter. Hope you enjoy and please reveiw.

Also I want to thank Jolinar Jackson for beta reading.

* * *

**Triumvir Chambers**

To an outsider, the chamber would quickly bring to mind an interrogation room or the meeting place of a cult group. The room lighting was low, not dark enough to trip over a piece of furniture, but not brightly lit either. In the center was a small triangle-shaped table that the Commonwealth heads of government decided, discussed and voted on various issues.

The room's door opened as the Triumvirate entered, each taking their seats at the table. As they were making their way over, a male human grumbled. "Kalderans, they seem to want to just cause the Parliament endless trouble with their bullshit maneuvers. Did they really believe that Parliament would pass the bill?"

A humanoid to his right shook her head as she had heard this complaint many times before this meeting. "This is no longer the empire where voices are silenced. While the Kalderans proposals are usually not worth the memory space in the archives, we can't simply strip them of their rights."

The man snorted at his fellow Triumvir. "If they despise the Commonwealth, then it's a right of theirs is to leave. The only reason they don't is that they know the High Guard would be down on them as soon as they try one of their stunts."

The third Triumvir spoke, her voice deep and carrying a weight from decades of experience. "Enough! The Kalderans pity revenge is not on the table." She then brought up a holographic projection of the Milky Way galaxy with an outline of the Goa'uld Empire space. Goa'uld space was further divided into each individual System Lords dominion. "Heru'ur's bid for Supreme System Lord is failing with Ra's former territory quickly being claim by the others, most notably Apophis, Cronus, Ba'al, and Amaterasu." The map showed four dominions expanding into parts of Ra's claimed space. "Heru'ur has asked an alliance, I suspect with the goal that combined military forces will bring the System Lords a position where they'll accept him as Supreme System Lord. Given the…nature of the request, it falls to us to choose the path."

After a minute of thinking, it was the male who first spoke. "While I detest the thought of _supporting _those creatures…weakening the System Lords' fleets would prove tactically useful to expanding our influence and space in the region."

The woman that had argued with him earlier spoke her thoughts. "An alliance would require ceasing all covert operation in his domain and his fleet would become the largest of the Goa'ulds. Unless Parliament can be convinced to support a war almost right after the alliance, then Heru'ur becomes the De-Facto space ruler of the Goa'uld Empire. Considering Parliament, not to mention the public, will be pissed…this is a huge gamble."

The man gave a small grin which confused the two females. "There are many species that would support a war…I wonder if a Netiachen would literally rip out the Goa'uld…In any case, Heru'ur is a problem that can be dealt with by Argosy if needed."

The third Triumvir spoke with a calmness that seemed out of place for the issue. "The Tok'ra fear is logical, if overly laced with paranoia. If we do this…_no_ System Lord must acquire that power by our action. Tollan, Earth, Andor…many planets would be reluctant to do business, let alone become a member."

The two others were silent as they considered the weight behind her words.

"We also have to consider the Asgards' reaction to an alliance."

The man gave a small shrug. "Tell them it's only temporary by Heru'ur's own request. Our goal remains the same: the elimination of the Goa'uld Empire."

The same woman from earlier rubbed her head. "What of the Pyians? This could possibly give them the opportunity they've been waiting for. If they force the treaty…"

The second woman replied,"Intelligence suggests they're scouting nearby galaxies rather than our territory. I'm surprised that the Milky Way is not on the list, but a blessing is thanked. Alright, it's time to decide: all in favor of rejecting Heru'ur's plea?"

None of the three raised their hands; however that did not mean all three agreed to it as one of the Triumvir could declare 'neutral'.

The same woman then asked, "All in favor of the alliance?"

All three raised their hands, but one of the women spoke. "Let the record show that while I agree to this proposal, I disagree to circumventing the Parliament and Commonwealth citizens."

The other two nodded and they moved onto the Asgard request. This did not take long to decide, the Asgard have proven themselves trustful allies and any sensitive information could be edited out. In any case, they doubted that it would be used against them by the Asgard, who were slow to anger but quick to respond.

**SGC, Conference Room**

The air in the room now contained a heaviness to it as the Earth people looked at the Commonwealth representatives with uneasiness, suspicion, and caution. Given that Sakura had just finished explaining how she recognized two of the languages it was to be natural. The persons that seemed to take the revelation of the Vedran Empire the hardest were Jack and Maybourne.

Speaking of which, Maybourne was now grilling them for keeping it a secret. "Something of this degree certainly warrants sharing with a potential ally. Being in my position, I can't help but question your motivations." If he played his cards right, then he would be leaving here with a few 'guests'. He would not detain them forever, simply long enough to acquire the data for some new weapons and advanced technology.

Sakura had expected the accusation. She spoke with the calmness all diplomats were trained to have. "I assure all of you, my government had no intention of long-term deception. The Vedran Empire was bloody, harsh, and exantionistice, yes…but the Commonwealth is not. An officer had already mentioned the Empire on Cimmeria, my government just wished a firm understanding to be developed so we would be judged on the present and not our past." She then stared directly at Maybourne. "If I may be blunt, I suspect you're reluctant to show past periods of similar state that occurred on this planet."

That seemed to have shut Maybourne up as he quickly looked towards a section of cement wall, though Jack still maintained his suspicious stare.

Ramus, who had been quiet since the whole exchange started, attempted to explain their peoples' view on the matter. "I apologize for any betrayal your people feel. For many in the Commonwealth, the Empire is seen as having an ultimate good. It created a unified government, a power block that allowed species to combat threats that one could not do alone."

Jack saw his chance and jumped at it. "And what about those that don't want this little club of the Vedrans? Most societies destroy resistance."

Sakura saw a chance to maybe calm the issue. "While the Vedrans were conquerers, their society is build on practicality and long-term thinking. Races did resist…but the Vedrans did not exterminate a race as they believed every being could be used for the Empire somewhere. The Kalderans I mentioned before put up the most successful resistance, yet were not treated differently and remain populated." She finished while looking to the Commonwealth flag, and then turned back to the Earth inhabits. "The Vedran Empire is in the past and cannot be changed no matter what one wants. I'm not asking you to trust us blindly, but judge my government on its present actions."

That seemed to satisfy most of the party, even Jack no longer held the accusing glare from moments before. Maybourne still looked like he wanted another word, but a glare from Hammond and the Earth representatives kept him quiet.

Sakura mentally sighed in relief. She hated lying and tried to avoid it when possible, but she knew when she took part in diplomatic missions that it was almost always a game of cat in mouth, the truth obscured in a black cloud of half-truth and blatant dodging attempts. That she didn't bring up the history of the empire until she was forced to by her own slip-up was just one of the example of the many half-truth said in her carrier.

One of the Earth ambassadors spoke. "We accept you explanation and will honor your request."

Over the next few hours, the two groups begun to hammer out the final details of the alliance. It was a long conversation and took a small toll on all involved, but in the end, both parties thought to have forged something that would be long lasting. Hell, Jack had even exchanged a few small jokes with the Commonwealth people by the end of it all.

The Commonwealth would train Earth on the basics of both their technology and that of the Goa'uld, but severely limited their help in regards to weapons and the Commonwealth would support in defending the planet form a Goa'uld attack.

Interestingly, Earth had asked to have a High Guard ship stationed in the system until they could develop ships of their own; a request that while not unusual, was unexpected given the little trouble earlier.

Beka, Sakura, and Ramus discussed this in a separate room for a few moments, debating the pros and cons from multiple points of view before returning and saying it sounded acceptable. The trick would be keeping it from being spotted by the local satellites.

The construction of the sensor stations would begin once a document was officially drawn and sign by both leaders. The officer exchange would also begin after the signing, an attempt by both sides to show they were serious about the alliance's success.

Sakura spoke as she finished recoding the terms. "If this is all, then we should be heading back as Parliament takes a few days to get legislation through."

Hammond nodded and each person stood up one by one, giving formal goodbyes. Daniel then walked over to Sakura, carrying a small, black item. "This is a small video of the surface of our planet, ah, for study if you desire."

Sakura smiled at the gesture. Nodding her thanks, she took the device and put it into a pocket. "It's a welcomed gift, Dr. Jackson. I hope to return the favor one day." She looked around and noticed Beka had suddenly disappeared and so had Maybourne. For some reason, this worried her. To herself, she thought, "_Don't do anything stupid after all this work_."

**With Beka**

She was walking down the halls in an attempt to catch up with Maybourne, who had left almost immediately. Something about his body language and voice put her senses on high alert, but she knew that creating a major incident would damage the still fragile alliance and wouldn't leave a good note on her record. Finally getting in ear shout she yelled, "Colonel!"

Maybourne stopped and turned to face her. His face was neutral but Beka could tell he was hiding his reaction. "Yes, Commander Valentine?"

"What game you playing, Colonel?"

"I don't understand. If you-"

"-and your desire for weapons after the offer was a accidental slip? No…you strike me as someone who's blunt. I'll ask you again, what are you planning?"

"Commander Valentine, this line of question is unnecessary and can be considered by my-"

Beka just held up her hand, her face taking on an innocent look. "Now, Colonel, that was a simple question. No need for such hostility, we're going to be allies and are supposed to be_watching _each other's backs." With that she turned and started to seek out the Stargate.

Maybourne stared at her retreating form for a second before continuing on his path.

**Apophis Dominion, Pilak**

From a Hat'ak in orbit of the planet, Apophis looked on as his new weapons were being installed on over a dozen Hat'aks. Similar procedures were occurring all over his major shipyards. It was estimated that his entire fleet would be fully upgraded in two weeks, a time-frame that was acceptable though he would prefer a faster schedule.

Caught in the moment, he began to imagine the increase in power and influence in the Goa'uld Empire. He would be the ruler, all serving him with few even willing to defy him unless they wished for a slow and painful death. Even the Commonwealth would not be able to excert their influence as they now did, especially when their fleets started to fall to his.

If Apophis had been less egotistical and arrogant, he might have realized that one's pride comes before a fall. This was a saying Goa'uld had proven true all through their history in power, but only a few Goa'uld had ever learned the lesson. Apophis, while a good tactical and stragitic thinker, was not one of these Goa'uld.

The false god's thoughts are interrupted by a Jaffa, "My Lord, I have urgent news."

Apophis didn't turn around as he nodded for the Jaffa to speak.

"Our spies report that Heru'ur has requested an alliance between himself and the Commonwealth. It is unknown if they have accepted."

Apophis spun his head to the Jaffa, his face deeply furious. "Impossible! To do so would shun him among the Goa'uld forever."

"It is the truth my lord…the _Shova _Jaffas also support this movement."

Apophis was not surprised to hear the word. By supporting Heru'ur's alliance with a sworn enemy of the Goa'uld, they are seen as traitors to the Goa'uld and Jaffa socity. Apophis doubted even being the son of Ra could mellow out some of the coming rage against Heru'ur. The Protected Planets Treaty and other such agreements between the Goa'uld, Asgard, and Commonwealth were seen as temporary and forced. Once the balance of power would return to their favor, even if it took centuries, they would be discarded and the two enemies crushed.

Still, the question was why Heru'ur would take such a gamble-Ah…very amusing.

"My lord?"

He had apparently showed his amusement because the Jaffa looked at him somewhat confused. He quickly returned to a neutral look at his lord's gaze.

"Heru'ur wishes to use the Commonwealth's strength to obtain his father position. Jaffa, send a message to the System Lords of this betrayal and I request a meeting." This would be the difficult part, even when Ra ordered a meeting it was difficult to get every System Lord to follow the call.

The Jaffa gave a small bow and left.

Looking back to the ships, Apophis now hoped that the attacks didn't start until the upgrades were complete. This coming conflict could be very useful to him and his goals. Soon, he would be god of the Milky Way and beyond.

**SGC, Mess Hall**

SG-1 was eating their supper as the talks had taken most of the day. They were all now off for the evening and could gone home, but decided to eat together before departing. It also gave them a chance to talk about the day's events.

Jack stabbed a piece of pork. "So we now have an ally, and a powerful one at that." Sam and Daniel gave a small gin at the excited tone sneaking its way in, while Teal'c just nodded. "So, what do you think of them?"

Sam was the first to speak, thinking back to her and Ramus conversation. "They seemed nice and genuine. Ramus discussion on quantum physics and the property-"

"-Ah, no math-talk at the table," Jack said while shaking his finger.

Sam gave a sheepish smile, taking a bite of potato.

"The blue guy-"

"Ramus," Daniel reminded him.

"-Ramus's face looked like a pharaoh painting." Jack then turned to the archeologist. "Any ideas, Daniel?"

"I've haven't found any text, inscriptions, or images that would suggest another alien presence in Ancient Egypt during that era. It is possible that the Goa'uld removed any references before the rebellion or they're recorded in another mythology."

Sam decided to add her thought. "They did say the Vedran started expanding over nine thousand years ago, so members of his race could have visited Earth without being acknowledged."

Jack acknowledged the possibility with a nod of the head. Putting the matter to rest for now, Jack turned to Teal'c. "So why did you agree to the fight?"

"Warriors of the High Guard are legendary among the Jaffa for their combat skills. For a Jaffa, facing them in hand to hand combat is rare as they often fight by ship. When Commander Valentine asked me to spare, I could not refuse."

The others gave a small shake of their heads but did not judge him.

Jack was on the last of his meal. "I can't wait to see inside their actual ships, not just scouts."

"Sir…any officer assigned to the program would not likely be part of an SG-team."

Daniel grimaced. "Not to mention your little accusation earlier."

Jack gave a small glare at them both. Honestly, he was reacting as any solider would in that situation! Finishing the last of his food, Jack grabbed his tray and stood. "Well, there's always the grape vine. I'll see you tomorrow."

They said their goodbyes and he put his tray with the other used ones. Slowly, each member finished and left, either heading to their home or going to their office to do work for a few hours.

**Tor System, Brandenburg Tor**

A five planet system with two presently settled planets, it was considered one of the Commonwealth's most beautiful planets. Some of the most well know features to the planet named Brandenburg Tor were the glittering city spires that touched the heavens, elegant orbital habitats including the two Home Guard stations, and possessing over five million lakes. Needless to say it attracted many individuals from a number of species to make a permit home.

For the people of the planet, the day started out with each citizen going about their business. For some it was getting the food for the rest of the month, others headed to the various administrative buildings and tourist services to start the day's job, or starting their shift if they were in the Home Guard. None could possible fathomed the horror that was soon going to descend upon the Known Worlds.

**Home Guard Station**

The Commander, a Than male, looked around the command center. Some officers were at stations taking reports from the plant, looking over sensor readings, or standing guard.

The Than officer had requested this assignment himself seeing it as a nice final post before retirement. This planet rally saw huge trouble, mostly simple gang, illegal substances, and plain old exploitation and intimidation. Basically standard planet trouble, though the Home Guard was asked to assist occasionally.

His second-in-command walked up to him, in his hands a Flexi with a summary of the past evening. "Good morning sir."

He simply ignored the young man and took the Flexi from him, reading it over. A few cross-planets chase and busts and normal sensor readings, all just as he was expecting. "Lieutenant, have the docks been cleared for the _Icarus in Flight_and _New Mombasa_?"

The officer nodded his head. "Yes, Commander. I've already ordered maintenance teams 1 through 4 on stand-bye. Assuming everything proceeds on schedule, both ships should be cleared within three hours of arrival."

The Commander nodded. "Have squadrons 1 through 4 run mock fights at 10:00 hundred."

The officer nodded and moved to enter the order when the main screen showed multiple objects appearing. "What are those…no ship is scheduled to arrive."

A young officer looked up from the sensor readings. "Unknown design and they're not transmitting any messsages. Their approach-they're firing!" Dozens small squares representing the ships weapons sailed from the unknown ships towards three High Guard ships, which were just coming back from patrol or a mission.

It was thanks to the High Guard ships' ability to accelerate to huge PLS (Perecentige of Light Speed) very quickly and general maneuverability that most of the attack was avoided. Still, at least six shots hit their marks: three to the leads ship, one to the middle, and two to the last one which vanished from sensors three seconds later as the slipstream core overloaded.

Wasting no time, the Commander ordered Battle Stations and launched three squads of slip-fighters. "Alert the nearest High Guard station, we're under attack!" He turned back to the screen, which now showed the two remaining High Guard vessels returning fire with multiple spreads of missiles, energy weapons, and using their speed to keep a good distance from the enemy and their weapons, a impossible goal with the enemy surrounding them from all sides. Speaking of which..."What weapons are they using?"

An officer on the far right answered, "The _Rising Sun_ is reporting…point-singularity weapons." The disbelief was obvious as he said it. "Sir, how can that-"

"-Focus ensign," he ordered. It seemed to work, allowing him to focus back at the screen. The two High Guard ships dealt blow after blow to the invaders, but they always seemed to have three more waiting in the wings to replace the loss. It was quickly turning into a battle of attrition, one that the Home Guard was not equipped to deal with.

It was not long before another High Guard ship exploded in a bright flash, the huge breaches from the mini-black holes finally too much. That just left one ship, a small escort who's role was to primarily fight beside Cruisers and Destroyers.

The Than sent a quick prayer to the fallen before ordering the ship back. "Alert planetary forces. Their top priority is civilian evacuation." His orders were relayed in record time, a knowledge which gave him some gratitude. He watched as the ship headed back, the enemy like swam of angry dogs chasing their prey.

"Sir, we're receiving a hail from the _Nero!_"

"Put it through!"

The screen showed the bridge of the ship which looked like hell. Bulkheads were broken and exposed, wiring torn and sparking in many places, consoles destroyed or non-functional, it was a miracle that it could still function. He saw a few crew members running around but also the litter of bodies.

The captain looked terrified, and sounded like it as well. "They're everywhere, too many. Their ships pierced though our sheild and hull, they've overwhelmed-" A blood-curling screech was heard outside the door and the Captain blanched, before something pounded against the metal. "Oh god…quickly, defend that position with everything be have!"

The Commander pressed forward. "Captain what-" But he trailed off as the bridge doors were suddenly blasted open and dozens of creatures swarmed in. The crew opened fire with their force lances and many fell to the powerful blast of plamsa shots, but like it had been with the space battle, there seemed to be an endless swarm of them.

One by one, the remaining bridge crew fell as too many enemies came at once to effectively keep back. They screamed, cursed, and even physically fought the creatures. The most notable defiance of the crew to these…creatures were small explosions of overloaded force lances. Sadly, it seemed to do little to stop this flow.

If he were a human or other primate creature, his disgust and horror at the scene would have been easily visible, hell, he was sure a few of the creatures were feasting on the dead bodies. "_What the hell could make a being like this?_"

The Captain turned back to the screen, an almost crazy look settling on him. "Destroy this ship, destroy!" And with a cry, he charged to a group of the creatures, blasting away three of the creatures before the transmission vanished.

By now, the High Guard and enemy ships were a few seconds away from the two stations and the planatary defence's weapon range. Everyone was tense; they would defeat the enemy here or be overrun by the numbers before reinforcements would arrive. But they were Home Guard and would fight until their last breath, many humming the High Guard motto and ready to face the coming storm.

_Heaven burns, the stars are falling  
As the enemy draws nigh_

_Sound the call, fleet and lancers,  
"Commonwealth" out battle cry._

The Commander looked at the screen.

_Face the foe, never waver  
Summon fire from the sky._

_From a million sovereign planets  
Scattered though the endless night_

"Open fire!"

_Bound by blood and High Guard honor,  
Hold the line until the light_

_Hold the line against the night._


	4. Chapter 4

First I would like to thank all those that made the story on their favorite and put the story on alert. I would also love to people if I made the Andromeda characters OOC (still looking for a Andromeda beta reader). That being said, I would like to address a reviewer

Aetheogh: you are entitled to your opinion and sorry that you were turned off. Still, I would be appreciating it if you would have waited until the story shows how the Abyss role/story in the fic will play out before accusing this as a wank-fic.

Anyway, I thank JolinarJackson for beta reading this. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please review.

* * *

Tarn-Vedra, High Command

The room to the building's main operations center opened, allowing a Nietzchean male to enter. One of the other officers walked over to him, carrying a small Flexi in his hand. His face looked like he had just seen a ghost or been on the receiving end of the Vedran Empress' legendary anger.

"Admiral Rhade, we've received some disturbing news. Three minutes ago the _Siege Perilous_ received a distress call from Brandenburg Tor indicating they were under attack by an unknown force."

The news caught Rhade by surprise for a few seconds since the Commonwealth hadn't been directly attacked in four centuries.

Getting his mind back to the potential invasion, he grabbed the Flexi from the officer. "Has no other ship in the sector received the signal?" he asked while reading over the data. The Fexi was displaying a summary of the event and information as it was known so far.

The officer shook his head. "The _Siege Perilous _said the signal was very distorted and they were the closest ship."

Rhade nodded, concluding that the enemy must be jamming any signal to prevent reinforcements for as long as possible. The _Siege Perilous_ must have picked up the signal before communications were completely jammed.

"What type of ship?" he asked as he handed back the Flexi to the officer.

"A simple Frigate and the enemy ships were reported to be in the thousands. Given those numbers, the _Siege Perilous _will not stand a chance at victory."

"Their sacrifice may buy us the few minutes we need," Rhade said as he went over to one of the holographic projectors.

He turned on the device to display a map of the Known Worlds. It highlighted the Andromeda galaxy, then zooming inward until the Muttawalis Globular Clustur was highlighted with a system labelled Tor. In this highlighted area were various red dots, some by themselves or being in small or large groups all representing the last known coordinates of High Guard ships in the area.

While it was not real-time, all High Guard ships were required to report their coordinates in a coded transmission every hour to the nearest station, beacon, or System Courier who would then transmit it to HQ. Until they could develop full galactic and intergalactic communication real-time technology fully, this was the best system.

Rhade brought up the profile of the two clusters of dots nearest to the system.

The first group was a group of a standard Heavy Cruiser Battle Group, composed of one Glorious Heritage (XMC), four Deep Standoff Attack ships (DSA), sixteen Group Defence Fighters (GDF), four Long-Range Surveillance ships (LRS), and four Supply and Maintenance Ships (SAM).

The second group was a half-formed Planetfall Readiness Group, composed of one Atmosphere Attack Craft Carrier (AAC), three Drop Ship Carriers (DSC), two Group Defence Fighters (GDF), one LRS, and one SAM.

Rhade was not surprised that the other ships were not with the main group since each ship in the group would be given an individual assignment or patrol area and return once the assignment was completed or when they were ordered to.

The Admiral began to consider which would be the best force. The Heavy Cruiser Battle Group would provide the most fire power and considering the reported number of enemy ships, the engagement would require heavy hitters. That being said, sending almost thirty ships against an unknown enemy that possessed numerical ability and possible superior ship vs. ship firepower was a great tactical risk. With the first assault against the System Lords to be launched in a week, they would need to keep a good number of such fleets in Commonwealth space to denture other powers from taking advantage.

The Planetfall Readiness Group would allow the evacuation of many citizens on the planet, which would allow a more dedicated assault group to attack any planet fortifications made or captured from the enemy. The group would suffer two disadvantages if sent: much less firepower in comparison to the other group and that half of the ships would be missing since it would take too long to reassemble them all. The fleet worked the best when the space surrounding the planet was secure. Here, they would have to secure space while fulfilling their primary function.

Only a few seconds had passed since he'd brought the hologram up and he'd made his choice. He turned to the officer and gave the orders. "Inform _Rising Sun's _fleet to leave for Brandenburg Tor immediately. Their goal is to secure the system from the invaders, but if that proves impossible, retreat to the nearest High Guard outpost. Alert all systems and inform every High Guard assist within Muttawalis Globular Cluster for further incursion into Commonwealth space."

The officer nodded and began to implement the commands, increasing the buzz of the room ever so slightly.

Satisfied, Rhade began to walk out of the room to attend a meeting further down the building but not before saying, "Inform the Fleet Admirals, they can plan any further actions against these invaders."

"Sir, we've yet to inform either Parliament or the-"

"-Even if war is not declared, one cannot ignore basic survival," Rhade said just before the door closed.

The officer just stared at the spot for a few second, but carried out his order. He hoped that whoever these attackers were, that this would be over quickly. The Commonwealth didn't need to fight two wars at the same time.

**Andromeda Galaxy, Archer System, Shemio Shipyards**

The Captain of the _Red Death _looked at the ship through the window as it was restocked and upgraded. She figured that her ship would be one of the ships deployed to the frontlines in the coming war.

Reaching into one of her pockets, she pulled out an Earth style photograph. The photo showed her smiling and her arms wrapped around a seven-year old boy. The boy himself was smiling so wide it looked like his jaw would soon fall of, eyes holding a great happiness. His clothes were simple blue shorts and a plain dark-green t-shirt.

She traced the outline of the child with one of her figures as a feeling of sadness filled her being. She was so focussed on her own thoughts that she failed to notice the approach of her first officer.

"Feeling regret, Ann?"

She nearly jumped out of her skin, but training had refined her control. She placed the photo back into the pocket while turning to face her XO. "Don't shock me like that Alexander, unless you want a hole in your gut."

The XO simply smiled at the threat, knowing that Ann was not so impulsive.

"Regret is just one of the many feelings coursing through me. He'll be eight in two weeks and here I am about to be deployed for Vedran knows how long."

"You don't know that-"

"Cut the crap. We're serving onboard a Glorious Heritage; if we aren't sent then I'll be very surprised. I haven't seen him in a year and this could take months if not years." Small tears were slipping down her face . She knew these situations were possible when she joined the High Guard, but felt she wasn't being the mother that she should be, that her son deserved.

Alexander rested a hand on her shoulder in an attempt at comfort, a somewhat odd gesture considering the traits usually associated with a Nietzchean.

He understood her pain as his wife and children were also separated from him for long periods. Being Nietzchean, they were more used such occurrences. He remembered his own father being absent for most of his 'childhood' and early adolescence. He had drawn support from his fellow pride members and knew his family would do the same. Still, there were just times and memories of family and one's children that only came across once. Once they were gone, they would never be recovered.

"He's a strong child and his genes in part come from you, whom yourself have proven time and time again skilled at adapting to what reality has given you."

She gave a small, hollow laugh at his statement because of its very Nietzchean outlook behind it. "And will that replace what is lost with an equal value? What of a mother's love and presence can be replaced by the coldness of the universe?" She looked back to the ship. "We're probably one the wealthiest civlizations in existance, but even that can't eliminate the coldness forever. That's one belief your people have that I won't debate."

Alexander didn't mind the jab at his people, many life forms found the Nietzchean way of life to be 'overly cynical' and 'a philosophy that didn't look for anything good'. Usually, he would debate those and similar statements, but this wasn't the time. He needed to get her back to the present situation, and he knew exactly how. "If you regret joining the High Guard, then you can-"

She turned to face him so fast he thought she would fall on her back, eyes giving him a glare that would scare even a biblical demon. "Like hell I regret it. Putting on this uniform…I protect him and thousands like him so they may live their lives to the greatest possibility. I would make this sacrifice a hundred times over, if it keeps him safe...I…just don't want to be forced to on duty and give up the other." Calming down, she grinned at him. "'I'm dwelling too much on uncertainty', right?" She gave a small sigh. "To quote a Nietzchean: 'Even if one controlled the entire universe, the past remains hidden away.' Alexander….thanks for listening."

He nodded his head before speaking. "I've always found philosophy to provide the greatest conversations." He then gave a small grin. "I believe you are overestimating the Goa'uld. The snakes are arrogant, confident in their power, and tactically dreadful. I doubt the High Guard will expend many resources."

The beginnings of a smile started. Sighing, she leaned against the wall. "The Goa'uld aren't stupid and we've been at cold war with them for millenias, they developed tactics to fight us. The Commonwealth will win, but they can give us a bloody nose."

Alexander nodded his head, but the grin didn't leave his face. "That is true in most wars, however,one should not enter the playground if one is unable to stand reciving a bloody nose."

Ann gave a small chuckle. "Always the philosopher, I wonder if a Jaffa would be interested in your speeches." She then looked down, eyes hardening a little. "If I may be honest…your people have opposed the Goa'uld when they live by many qualities that Nietzcheans live by. So why support the Commonwealth?"

Alexander was not offended by the question; many in the Commonwealth had been surprised when the Nietzcheans didn't try to take the Milky Way as their playground. He and Ann had been friends for a number of years, thus he would give her a straight answer. "The Goa'uld may have shaped their galaxy to their will, but they are cowards, bullies, satisfied with their Empire when more powerful opponents exist. When a government has become that weak, a new, stronger one must replace it."

She thought over his words to find where they fit in the creature that was a Nietzchean. After a few moments, she looked at him with a serious look. "And if the Commonwealth should become as 'weak'?"

"My dear Captain, one should not suggest an implication that is not there. One has to just look at past history to know peace is not always achieved through talk."

She watched him walk down the corridor; hands behind his back as though he didn't mention something that sound sounded potentially like treason.

"_Alexander, what the hell are you saying?_"

Hasara Space Station

Its design resembled a screen set over furniture to keep the sun and rain from soaking it. The primary sections were the triangular-top and flat center, the two connected by a central cone and four struts on each corner. The coneextended past the lower base, giving the appearance that the station could spin on the ground like a spin-top.

Sitting on a make-shift throne, Apophis considered what he would say so that the council would agree to his proposal. At the moment, he lacked the strength to coerce them to agree. In recent history, only Ra had been in the position to do such a thing. He didn't want to reveal his new weapons, since that would give the System Lords a chance to adapt their defences to them. That was why he had sent orders to start constructing standard Hat'aks to serve as a 'buffer' for a short time.

Even though he despised diplomacy it seemed to be his only chance at succeeding. He just wondered how the more...set members on the council would react to his proposal.

His thoughts were ended as his Lo'taur walks into the room, bowing to him. "We have docked, my lord."

"Prepare to announce my presence."

The Lo'taur nodded and left.

He looked down at his attire. He was wearing the same clothes that he wore when he'd found his queen's host. Given that this was technically neutral ground between all of them, it would be a tad foolish to wear his full armour and risk having the other System Lords thinking it was a trap.

Deciding it was time, he stood and exited the Tel'tak. He proceeded to the meeting room, his Lo'taur following two feet behind him. During the walk, they didn't encounter another life form, meaning that the System Lords were all assembled and waiting for his arrival.

He stopped just before the door to allow his Lo'taur to enter first, announcing his presence. "I present the Great Lord Apophis."

He walked through the door, eyes scanning the assembled group, and over to his seat. The looks sent to Apophis were a mixture of distrust, curiosity, or just plain indifference. He ignored them all to focus on the goal.

A moment of silence descended on the room, a rare event considering the nature of the assembled group. Each System Lord studying the other, trying to predict what would be mentioned based on rumors, activities of the other System Lords, and simple paranoia all fit into the guessing game. It really was amusing in a sense, one of the few times the 'gods of the Milky Way' didn't know everything.

The silence was finally ended by Cronus. "Apophis, we have trouble accepting your claim. You have aldready attacked others dominion, mine included."

Svarog supported Cronus statement. "Yes, Apophis, it would be easier to fight us when we are focused on a impossible event."

Apophis inwardly seethed at the tone, but didn't show it on his face and gave a simple reply. "Then why is he not here to fight my claim? The nature of this summit is itself a reason to show, yet he did not." Even if they did not believe him, Heru'ur's status as a System Lord would be damaged.

Yu spoke his thought. "Such an act is worthy of question, but your claim is still weak." He then looked around to the other System Lords. "Can any of you support his claim?"

It was quiet for a few seconds, and then Kali spoke. "A spy reported three of his ships heading towards the Setherdorn System and returning hours later with no battle damage. I merely demised it as coward Jaffa refusing to carry out the orders of their god."

The rest of the System Lords turned to her, some glaring.

"Why did you not mention it earlier?" Ba'al demanded.

She gave him a glare. "Before Apophis' message, I did not think Heru'ur to be so cowardly and would face us in battle with honor. Given the crime of Apophis' accusation, no Goa'uld would make that conclusion." She then paused before adding, "Were you considering such an action, Ba'al?"

He moved to stand up, to teach her not to throw out such…insults without disregard for those present, but a small glare from Yu stopped him.

Apophis saw his chance finish the debate. "The original claim was followed with similar reports across his dominion, even those on the outlying territories. It is hard to conclude another reason."

Everyone sat in silence as they thought over this information. It seemed impossible that a System Lord would risk so much, yet it seemed to be the reality of things.

Reluctantly, the other System Lords accepted Apophis claim. Now the only question remaining was what to do about the upcoming threat.

Ba'al chuckled as he thought about Heru'ur's plan. "One cannot deny the pragmatism of his plan."

Cronus nodded. "Yes, we have yet to defeat a small fleet. To engage their full forces would be suicide."

Yu voiced all System Lords' thoughts, "We have no choice if all that has been said is true."

Cronus then spoke, voice filled with anger. "Even if we are able to successfully fight the Commonwealth, their worlds and industry lie beyond our reach while they will be able to decrement ours, and we have yet to find a method to defeat the intelligence on the ships."

The System Lords all winced at the comment, remembering the brutality of the ships themselves. They had first discovered the Commonwealth use of Artificial Intelligence during the first series of clashes of the two forces.

A High Guard ship had been caught by surprise and the Hat'aks had quickly 'disabled' the small patrol craft. Dozens of Jaffa had been sent over to secure the vessel for transport to the nearest System Lord's system.

About half way into the mission, the ship suddenly had power restored even though all the crew were confirmed dead. The Jaffa only had the chance to see the face of the AI come on screen, saying the words 'get out', before being blown into space and the attacking ships severely damaged before they were forced to retreat. Needless to say, boarding a High Guard vessel was for the moment virtually impossible.

Apophis decided it was time to make a proposal. "We cannot continue play our game amongst ourselves, but untie to face the traitor and his allies. To continue to be gods of this galaxy, we must eliminate any who oppose that position - together."

The room again was silent as they considered what to do. It wouldn't be unusual, having done so with the Asgard and initial conflict with the fact they had been preparing for eventuall war with the Commonwealth since first contact, abite hoping for the war to happan on their terms. Still, it would be the first time in centuries and thus affecting the ability of the unity not to break down.

Deciding it was time to vote, Apophis brought the motion forward. One by one, each System Lords cast their vote with all the System Lords voting to uniting their forces for the time being. With that done, it was time for Apophis to go further with his goal. "Given the threat of the Commonwealth forces, our fleet and troops will need a defined supreme commander."

Ba'al looked at him. "And who do you propose?"

"Myself."

**Orbit of P3X-482**

Beka watched the _Andromeda Ascendant_ get larger and larger as they approached the ship. She was glad to be back 'home', in her home field. While Hammond and SG-1 appeared pleasant enough, the feeling she got from Maybourne was enough to only staying the time needed. When he started to display hostility in regards to the Vedran Empire…she was almost certain he would try some kind of 'unauthorized' plan.

Speaking of which, she walked down to the area where the two ambassadors were staying. Ramus was lying down on the ship's bench; his eyes closed but he was not asleep.

Sakura was sitting on the opposite bench with a Flexi in her hand, eyes scanning over the information in deep concentration. Beka had an idea to what was on the Flexi, so decided to make her presence known. "If it was so easy then we would already have known."

Startled, Sakura snapped her head around to Beka, blinking a few times. Refocusing on her surroundings, she mentally smacked herself for drifting off so easily.

She set the Flexi on the bench to give Beka her full attention. "I can still make an educational guess, though I'll need access to the All System's University to make it. I consider this more background reading."

Beka replied, "It'll be like searching for the Rode of Ages, and even if you find the reason, the Vedrans will probably not let you present it. Their voice still holds significant influence, if you recall."

Sakura agreed but didn't let that stop her. "Many great discoveries were given the same odds, yet that did not stop them and it will not stop me." She looked up to the roof. "I do wish for this to become part of our history, but if the Vedrans continue to feel that part of the past should remain secret, then I will comply."

Beka opened her mouth to comment on her words when the pilot announced they were approaching the ship's hangar bay. Beka shouted a small acknowledgment to the pilot before saying, "Good luck on your search then." She gave a small yell to Ramus, who opened his eyes and sat up while doing a small stretch. He nodded to Beka, who then walked back to the cockpit.

The bay doors opened like the mouth of gigantic whale, ready to swallow the tiny ship that approached it. The transport glided into the bay and settled into the open space between two other transports, landing as graceful as a bird.

They waited a few minutes for the bay to re-pressurise before opening the transport's door. Beka was the first to exit, followed by the diplomats and then the pilot. They walked to the hangar bay entrance, Beka and the pilot giving a salute to Dylan.

"At ease," he said. "Welcome back. Ambassadors, these two men will show you to your quarters until we arrive at Tarn-Vedra," he finished with gesturing to two officers behind him. They nodded their thanks to the Captain. The four of them departed, leaving only Beka and Dylan.

Beka looked around the ship. "Everything seems to be in order; I guess I didn't miss much."

Dylan gave a small grin at the joke. He began walking down the deck, Beka following. "Depends on how define 'much'. The Commonwealth has made alliance with Heru'ur to fight against the System Lords. In a few hours, the _Andromeda _will meet to lay out the conditions."

Beka blinked at the information, "Hold on, we're supporting the snakes? Who in the government would actually vote for this?"

"The decision came from the Triumvirs themselves, and the deadline was very short."

"So then we help one gain power over the others and ignore all the crimes he's committed over the centuries? The Commonwealth would become an accessory to any horrors he commits in this position. "

Dylan wasn'tsurprised about Beka's accusation; he personally didn't like the alliance either but sometimes one needed to fight fire with fire. In this case, Heru'ur brought knowledge that even the best spies couldn't find. "No one is suggesting that, but it was an opportunity I couldn't ignore."

Beka looked to the floor. "I just spent the last twelve hours on Earth for this agreement; this puts a huge risk on it since I doubt they'll be happy with us for supporting him. What happens when their forces go after Heru'ur anyway? Do we fire on one ally to protect another?"

Dylan didn't say anything for a moment. "The motto: 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' seems universal."

There was a silence between the two for a few minutes. It was ended when Beka asked, "And when he inevitably stabs us in the back?"

Dylan just grinned. "We show him who has the bigger knife." Deciding to move on, he began to talk about the mission to Earth. "I'm looking forward to hearing your mission report; diplomatic talks can be very interesting."

Beka laughed a little before responding, "If you think double-speak and accusations thrown at your face, then yes. I mean, where does that arrogant, self-assured, scheming of a man get the-"

"Commander," Dylan bellowed interrupting Beka rant from going any further. "I take it you encountered difficulties?"

Beka took a few breaths to calm down before answering. "Apparently they found a ten millennium old building with ancient _Asgard _and _Vedran_."

Dylan blinked.

"Sakura saw the writing, so I doubt they faked it."

"They could have acquired it from someone looking to make a quick sell and simply added the castle."

"Captain…Dylan, who in this galaxy would know Vedran well enough to get even close to a version spoken _nine-thousand_ years ago?"

Dylan sighed as he couldn't argue with that. Sometimes he wondered if this week held one shocking event after another. He was still interested in hearing about the source of her anger. "So they found these ruins."

"Well, Sakura mentioned the Empire, and then Maybourne accused us of still subjecting worlds against their will."

Dylan nodded in understanding, smiling a little at his XO's tone towards the man. Still, he felt the need to defend the viewpoint a little. "They're just beginning to go galactic and the first power they find is the Goa'uld. As…misinformed his opinion is, I can't fault him for it."

"It's not just that, he continuously put my senses on alert."

"I assume all of this will be more detailed in the report?"

Beka nodded her head.

"Then I suggest taking the next hours off to relax and write the report. You come back on just before we leave for the Setherdorn System."

Beka gave a small smile while saluting. She then proceeded up the deck[,] hoping to reach her quarters in ten minutes.

**The Setherdorn System**

"Commander Valentine, we've arrived in the Setherdorn System," _Andromeda_ reported her holographic form in the center of the room.

Beka let out a small yawn as she rose from her bed, the top-piece of her uniform laid across the chair by her desk. She had written her report in an hour and had laid down to get some shut eye. Her body felt like it had been a full rest, though she knew three hours had past at best. "Thanks, Andromeda. Inform Captain Hunt I'm on the way."

_Andromeda _nodded and vanished.

Holding back a yawn, she got up, grabbed her top from the chair, and walked over to a mirror. As she slid the last arm through the sleeve and began to clip the front, she looked up in the mirror and suddenly flashed back to the day she left to join the Home Guard.

_A nineteen-year old Beka stood on a street, looking at a very expensive looking house. She was wearing light brown pants, a black sleeveless shirt that had intentional holes in it, though not near her breasts. Her hair was a light-purplish color, with a trace of gold running through it. Her face was not as defined, still containing some teenager look._

"_Come on Beka, get this over with__,__" she said to herself. She took one deep breath and walked up to the door, passing by perfectly weeded and arranged flower beds. The entire outside house reflected the look of high-class, giving a feeling as a display piece rather than a home._

_She knocked on the door three times and waited for someone to answer. It didn't take long for __the __shuffling of feet to be heard approaching and the door swung __open__. A man that appeared to be in his late 70's __stood there__, whose hair was gone __and whose __eyes had dulled to a soft brown. He was wearing a suit that resembled Earth's stereotypical butlers._

_His eyes seemed to light up upon seeing Beka, who returned it with a small smile of her own. "Mistress Beka, this is a surprise. It's good to see you again, __ma'am__."_

_Beka gave him a small hug that __momentarily__ shocked the man, before replying. "The feeling is mutual, Gregory. Is my mother here?"_

"_Mistress Sophia is in the reading area. Do you wish to see her?"_

_Beka nodded, and Gregory moved out of the way to let her in. She walked through the door and looked around the area. There was a grand stairway ten feet in front of her, a doorway to a room on the right, and a long narrow hall to the left of the staircase. Like the outside, it was decorded and styled in very expensive material and objects._

_Gregory started to walk down the hallway, Beka trailing a few feet behind. They soon came to a huge room, about the size of a transport truck trailer. It looked like a Victorian sitting room, with all the latest and high-class items on Tarn-Vedra. The only difference was that towards the very back wall__,__there __was a medium sized book __shelf__, filled with brooks from almost all genres_

_Sitting in one of the chairs was a woman in her late forties. She was wearing a __red __dress, made from finest material available__._

_Gregory made a small coughing noise, gaining the woman's attention. "Mistress Sophia, your daughter is here to see you."_

_The woman__'s __ eyes brightened even though her face remained neutral. "Really, well I like this surprise. Send her in, Greg__.__"_

_Gregory turned and nodded to Beka, who took a deep breath and walked into the room. Taking the chair across from her mother, she smiled at her._"_Hello__,__ mother."_

"_My__, __how you've grown…how long has it been, two years?" __It was __then that she noticed her clothes__,__"My dear, what are you wearing? __Surely __you must have…proper clothes."_

_Beka winced, even though she had braced herself for such comments. He mother had always been…focused about how one presented themselves to the high ups in society that 'always look and judge you' as__ her__ mother would say._

"_These are spare clothes, besides I__'m __not concerned with impressing anyone today." __Taking__ a small breath, she decided to move to the subject of her appearance before things got out of hand. "Mom…I've been accepted into the Home Guard."_

_Her __mother blinked at that, surprised by the announcement._

_"I__'ll __start in three days. I just wanted you to know, so if you see me then__, __you __wouldn't __freak out."_

_There was __an __awkward pause as both waited for the other to talk. Beka hoped that her mother would just accept it and move on, even if she __didn't__ like the decision. _

_Her mother had always been one of image and doing what'a__ '__ proper lady is requiored by socity, otherwise they have faild__.' Her mother had tried to install the same belief in her throughout the years, no matter how many times Beka had shown herself that she held a different opinion. This different in part came from her father, who despite living a life society deemed worthless was the most loving and caring person she knew. If he could be this kind of person when society said those in this life could not, why should their thoughts be worth consideration? _

_Her mother would complement her on her accomplishments, but the look in her eyes always gave it always. They always held a disappointed look, asking her 'why are you doing something beneath your status?' It made her feel at times as though Sophia considered her a mistake, something that needed to be fixed. _

_Her mother saw the need and accepted the Home Guard a necessary…but like many other things, she saw it as an organization where the common go and not a place for a future high lady in society. _

_In the end, __it was her life, not her mother's or her chance to see her dreams through her daughter._

_It seemed fortune was not on her side, if judging by her mother's response. "Beka…are you sure on joining? You can have a risk-free life, the best state in life and no worries about anything. With my connections, I can find you a well paying-"_

_Beka cut her off. "-We've been over this mother, why can't you accept that?" This was what she__' __wanted to avoid, yet it seemed her mother was going to try one last time to arrange her daughter's future._

"_My dear, I'm only looking out for your future. A proper lady-"_

"_-MY future, mother, not yours. I don't want a life were I give constant smiles to people who care not for me but my money and position. I don't want to sit in a home that hides who I am to keep up an image. For me, that is a terrible life." Her mother seemed to recoil at the last sentence, but Beka continued. "It's risky, hell__, __I could easily die but at least I'll be myself."_

_Beka was surprised that she__'d__ said that since she wanted to avoid this argument. She had thought that for years, but hadn't because she still wanted to maintain a basic relationship with her mother. Now…if her mother __couldn't __accept her choice, then nothing more could be done. She __wouldn't __try to maintain a relationship with __someone __who __didn't __want it._

_Her mother stared at her, as if trying to understand her and the 'mystery' behind her choice. Finally__, __she simply sat back in the chair, her hands on the lap. "You sound just like your father, you're going to end up-__"_

_If Beka__'s__ relationship with her mother still __had __had a chance of being salvaged, that comment had pretty much blown it out of the water. Beka's glare was so intense that it could have melted steel. "Don't bring up dad! He may not have been perfect, but at least he was __there_ _when I needed someone. You've just been concerned about your image, how having a child with __a __'drug dealer' would look." She looked to her side. "You didn't even attempt to stay in contact, I didn't even see you until I was __four_ _and now you want to comment on my choice. I'm sorry__, mother__, but you lost that right years ago." By the end of the rant__, __her voice had gone from outrage to calm and cold._

_She stood up, ready to get back to her own apartment. "I won't come back, Sophia." She turned and walked towards the door, giving a small nod and smile to Gregory on the way out._

"Look where I'm now, mother." Putting that memory to the back of her mind, she left her quarters for the Command.

About half-way there, she heard someone yell, "Hey, boss!"

Turning around, she saw a young human male doing a light jog up to her. She paused to let the man catch up, and when he did they began walking together. The male spoke first. "So, boss, are we really going to help those self-appointed worms?"

Beka had wondered when the usual circulation of rumors about the_Andromeda's_ current mission would start. "You know I can't say, Harper, you'll find out with everyone else."

That seemed to be saying yes to Harper, for he glared at the floor. "So we are helping them! Next you'll tell me they'll be allowed on our ships, which itself allows a huge spying opportunity for them, unless HQ will demand the same."

Beka decided to reign in the hyperactive engineer. "Slow down, Seamus. Even if what you believe is true, HQ would consider these things when agreeing to this."

Harper looked up at her intently. "You do know what the terms are, boss?"

Beka didn't, but she wouldn't let him know that, at least not yet. "They're classified, Harper, I can't simply spout them to you."

Harper frowned at the response. "You don't know either, and you're his XO. What's the Captain planning, a surprise battle? I mean, the heads should at least know to be able to judge if the snake would attack and prepare-"

"Don't you have an engine to maintain, grease monkey?"

Harper sent her a mock glare.

"If you continue, I may report your…thought to our esteemed Captain Hunt."

Harper waved her off. "Don't worry, message received. Just don't blame me if this blows up in our faces." With that, he walked over to the nearest ladder and jumped down. Beka just shook her head and continued to the Command.

She entered about ten minutes later and walked over to her station, saluting to Dylan. "Commander Valentine reporting for duty, sir," she said with a small smile.

Dylan returned the salute before speaking. "I hope you're all rested up, because I doubt you'll get a good rest for a few days."

Beka gave a small shrug. "If long nights were a problem, you would have got a new commander years ago. Dealing with one self-appointed snakes 'god'? I wouldn't miss it." She tapped a few buttons on the station. "What are the terms for this…alliance?" She had paused at the end, her mind still working on the actual reality. "Mr. Harper asked me on my way up, so I'm assuming they're under lock and key."

Dylan shook his head at the mention of his Chief Engineer. "Remind me to tell Mr. Harper about grilling the higher ranks. I wonder where he learned that from." He finished the question with looking directly at Beka who simply ignored him and did her work. It wasn't her fault the kid was perceptive and curious to a fault about his surroundings.

Any further conversation on the subject ended as four vessels appeared on sensor range. Dylan tapped a few orders on his console and brought the ship to stand-by _status_. The _Star of Warriors _and _Vanguard _took positions five hundred above and below the _Andromeda _with a distance of two miles from her. This allowed all three to give a full spread of weapons without huge risk of friendly fire and played towards their maneuverability.

_Andromeda__'s_hologram appeared to the right of Beka. "Their speed matches the records of Heru'urs' three Hat'aks. It seems he was genuine or that's one of _the _most pitiful fleets to engage us yet."

Beka grinned at the AI's remark while Dylan simply said, "No firing until hostile action."

_Andromeda _nodded to her captain.

One minute later, a hyperspace window opened and four Hat'aks emerged. Three of them immediately formed a protective circle around the fourth, as if to create a physical shield. Dylan and Beka looked at each other, knowing the Goa'uld only did that when their god or a very high ranking person was onboard.

"We're receiving a transmission from the middle ship…its Heru'ur himself." _Andromeda _seemed surprised by that since her voice had trailed off towards the end.

Dylan blinked for a second before saying, "Let's get this show started. Andromeda, put it through."

The middle screen showed the bridge of the Hat'ak, which looked nearly identical to the bridge from Helanc's Hat'ak. In the center was Heru'ur in his dark-golden armour, sitting on a 'throne'. His pose was that of a king wishing to strike fear into a traitor or thief, but it had no effect on Dylan or Beka.

Heru'ur seemed to eye them, the disgust he had for the ship and her crew barely concealed. No doubt the System Lord found asking a foreign power, especially one that had working for them the same species that he ruled over, humiliating, even with the obvious benefits.

After what seemed like an eternity on a silent stand-off, the System Lord spoke. "Commonwealth ship, what is the decision on my proposal?"

"We have agreed to the request, but there are conditions you must agree to before it's official."

One of the Jaffa looked ready to yell at them for making such a request, but a small glare from Heru'ur stopped him. Heru'ur turned back to Dylan, his face showing none of his emotions. "What are your demands?"

"First, that all operations will be coordinated and evaluated by both forces, with no attack by either side without the other's knowledge. All Commonwealth forces will have safe passage through your space, and attack by your forces will result in immediate termination of the alliance. Any attempts to steak our technology will result in immediate termination of the alliance. Finally, the Commonwealth receives 1/5 of the captured territory after the war."

Heru'ur's face had kept the neutral look through the first three, but at the last changed into anger. "You believe yourself so secure to make this demand?"

Dylan's eyes narrowed at the tone, but he decided to humor Heru'ur. "You're approaching us for the alliance, so I would say we are very secure." He then stared directly at Heru'ur. "Those are the terms; you can accept them or continue to fight the System Lords alone."

The two forces seemed like two cats waiting to pounce on each other. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Heru'ur gave Dylan a small nod. "Your terms are accepted. Together, we shall bring the System Lords to their destruction." He then used his hand to gesture to a being off-screen. "I'm transmitting a location for our forces to plan their attack."

_Andromeda _looked up for a second before responding. "Coordinates received. No virus or other harmful attachments, but I've isolated them as a precaution."

Dylan nodded and turned back to Heru'ur. He gave the crew a final look."Until we battle together, Commonwealth." With that the four ships backed away from the three Commonwealth ships and entered hyperspace.

Dylan gave a small sigh in relief, bringing the ship alert down. "Transmit that our alliance is official. We'll stay in the system until Tarn-Vedra decides our role in this war."

What few could have seen was how this alliance and the invasion of the unknown attackers marked the end of the _Era of Peace_ for the Commonwealth, and for the majority of the galaxies in the local group, the end of the relative stability and political calmness that had been characteristic of the five past millennia. It was the end of a state that wouldn't be seen until years later.


	5. AN

Author's note

So I was looking this over and realized how unfocused and quickly I was moving things along, as well trying to write to many OC while trying to balance the shows cast. In essence, I realized that I had no solid direction and long-term goal planed. I was just writing as it came to me. Thus I am officially rewriting this story.

The new 'version', though I've changed so much of the plot and direction that it can be seen as a completely new story, already has the first chapter written and published. My hope is that since I have written the outline of the first 'season', this will allow me to create a much more enjoyable and entertaining story.

If you have favored and/or alerted this story, I thank you and hope that the new one can equally grab your attention. I will leave this up until the new story has caught up to the chapters of this one.


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